


Incarceration

by SinnohRemaker



Category: Villainous (Cartoon)
Genre: Also there are some minor background ocs but they don't matter, Angst, Anxiety, Black Hat is a stubborn grumpy asshole, Demencia is a badass, Espionage, Everyone Is Gay, Flug and Demencia are bffs, Flug is an anxious mess, Hurt/Comfort, Imprisonment, Infiltration, M/M, Manipulation, Panic Attacks, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-02-10 07:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12906612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SinnohRemaker/pseuds/SinnohRemaker
Summary: For years, Black Hat was thought to be completely indestructible. He had no weaknesses, and fighting against him was completely futile. That was until a team of heroes stripped him of his powers, leaving him completely helpless. Black Hat is captured imprisoned in a top security facility, making escape nearly impossible. Black Hat is slated to be executed, and the employees of Black Hat Organization are the only ones who can save him. Flug and Demencia must race against the clock to save him before it's too late.





	1. Capture

Flug drummed his gloved fingers against the steering wheel, impatiently waiting for his coworkers to get into the car. His boss was busy trying to wrangle Demencia, who was a notoriously bad listener. He could hear Black Hat’s yelling all the way from the garage, growling at Demencia to get up and get into the car. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, an irritated Black Hat and a sleepy Demencia both piled into the car, with Black Hat sitting shotgun and Demencia in the back of the car. Flug was the only one among them who actually had a drivers license, so he insisted on driving them each time they went in the car. It was more out of concerns for his own safety than anything, as he knew having Black Hat or Demencia behind the wheel was a death sentence. He adjusted his rear view mirror, and caught a glimpse of Demencia sprawled across the entire back seat, trying desperately to get back to sleep. Flug’s brows furrowed. 

“Demencia, please sit up and put on your seatbelt. It’s a safety hazard.”

Demencia rolled over, yawning obnoxiously.

“But it’s so early...”

She grumbled, pulling her lizard hoodie over her eyes.

“It’s not early Demencia, it’s 9 o’clock. You need to get up.”

Black Hat shot a wayward glance at him, scowling.

“Just hurry up and drive you moron, she’ll never listen to you.”

Flug paused, then offered her a proposition he was sure she couldn’t refuse.

“If you get up, I’ll play Mario Kart with you when we get back.”

Demencia perked up.

“Really?”

“Of course. I’ll let you be Waluigi, and we can even race at Rainbow Road if you want.”

Demencia immediately sat up and buckled her seatbelt, grinning from ear to ear.

“This is so awesome! I’m totally gonna kick your ass!”

“In your dreams.”

Flug began to pull out of the garage, shooting Black Hat a smug look. Black Hat folded his arms across his chest and looked away.

“So where are we going, anyways?”

Demencia asked, an inquisitive look lighting up her face.

“Don’t you listen?

Black Hat snarled.

“We’re going to the town hall to crash the mayor's ceremony.”

Flug nodded.

“Uh huh. The mayor is going to unveil a statue dedicated to the city’s most powerful hero, and Black Hat is going to destroy it.”

Black Hat grimaced.

“Nobody asked for your input, Flug.”

Flug shrank away from his boss, anxiety tightening in his chest.

“S-sorry sir.”

He murmured.

“I can’t believe the mayor is dedicating a statue to that daft idiot. Sunburst is a pathetic excuse for a hero. He doesn’t deserve such honor!”

He spat, Flug cowering as he raised his voice.

“That’s why we’re going to ruin it, sir.”

Flug responded, eyes focused on the road ahead of him.

“It’s a disgrace!”

Black Hat shouted, and Flug flinched involuntarily.

Black Hat ranted and raved for the rest of the car trip, while Demencia was simply mesmerized by listening to him talk. Flug spend the entire ride trying to quell his anxiety and focus on driving, but his boss was certainly making it difficult. Finally, Flug parked the car behind the town hall, and they all stepped outside. Flug spend a moment admiring the chrome black Mercedes that belonged to the company. Black Hat had it custom made after Demencia had wrecked his old car, and Flug appreciated the more modern stylings of the new car. He was startled away from his thoughts by Black Hat’s raspy yelling.

“Quit dillydallying you idiot! We don’t have all day!”

Flug ran to catch up with his coworkers, quickly winded by the physical activity. The time had come for them to enact their evil plan. All Flug and Demencia really had to do was watch their boss, as they were just there for backup. Black Hat always insisted that they join him on all of his little escapades, but Flug simply couldn’t figure out why. Flug was pretty useless in any combat scenario, so he would basically be a deadweight if anything went awry. Demencia was a skilled and capable fighter, filled to the brim with manic energy, but she wasn’t nearly as powerful as Black Hat, so bringing her along didn’t make much sense either. Of course, Black Hat refused to take 5.0.5 out on missions, as he didn’t want to be seen in public with the failed lab experiment. The poor bear would be absolutely terrified by all the violence and fighting, so Flug was glad that he stayed home. Flug jumped at the sudden sound of an explosion, snapping his thoughts back to reality. He mentally reprimanded himself for zoning out again, and watched in awe as Black Hat used his laser vision to obliterate the statue, cackling as the crowd that had come to admire it ran screaming in all directions. There was nothing Black Hat enjoyed more than terrorizing the public, and it was clear he was having a blast. Black Hat’s tendrils wrapped around a few unfortunate pedestrians, shaking them like rag dolls as he laughed maniacally.

“Stop right there, evildoer!”

Sunburst emerged from the crowd of onlookers, and rocketed into the sky, glaring at Black Hat with unwavering determination. Flug sighed, rolling his eyes. As he had predicted, Sunburst had shown up to try and stop Black Hat. Although he wasn’t particularly fond of heroes, he did have to admire their dedication. No matter how many times they were defeated, they always came back, ready to be beaten into the ground once again. Black Hat shot an inky tendril at Sunburst, and the hero swerved left to avoid it, his cape flowing out behind him. Sunburst flashed Black Hat a coy grin as his palms began to shine with a radiant light, ready to counter with an attack of his own. He fired off several brightly glowing spheres of energy, all easily dodged by Black Hat. He flew circles around Black Hat’s head, staying just out of the demon’s reach. Black Hat growled, dropping the innocent civilians and launching himself at the hero, fangs bared. Sunburst’s amber eyes began to to gleam bright yellow, intercepting Black Hat’s pounce with an energy shield. The demon collided with the shield, causing it to shatter and dissipate, leaving the hero defenseless. Black Hat entrapped the hero in his shadowy appendages, forcing a shriek out of the spandex clad hero. It seemed as if Black Hat had secured with victory, when suddenly, Sunburst cried out.

“Starlight! Now!”

In the blink of an eye, his sidekick appeared in a burst of light, floating near the captured hero. She held something in her hands, glinting in the sunlight as she tossed it to him. Black Hat swiped at her, her midnight black hair flowing around her as she gracefully dodged his attacks. As Black Hat was distracted by Starlight’s antics, Sunburst steadied the object in his hands, pointing it at the demon. Flug squinted, trying to make out his creation. It was a ray gun. More concerning, it appeared to be a ray gun of his own creation. Flug’s stomach dropped. Sunburst fired the ray, striking Black Hat with a brilliant flash of light. Black Hat yowled as the ray hit him, his entire body doubling over in pain. The hero freed himself from Black Hat’s grasp as he began to plummet to the ground, his body completely limp as he fell.

“NO!”

Flug wailed, feeling tears prick in the corners of his eyes as he began to run towards his boss. Sunburst took a moment to fix his windswept blonde hair, before smiling at the cheering crowd of people.

“Rejoice citizens! The nefarious Black Hat has been defeated!”

He then snapped his fingers, signaling the nearby authorities to move in and restrain the target. Instantly, the area was flooded with police, all surrounding Black Hat’s smoking form as they attempted to secure him. Flug continued running towards his boss, armed with his own ray gun. It was only a simple death ray, nothing particularly fancy, but he needed to have something to protect himself when he was out on business. He fired haphazardly at the cops surrounding him, trying desperately to escape their pursuit so he could rescue his boss. Unfortunately, he was vastly outnumbered, and before he could make it to Black Hat, he was tackled to the ground. He struggled and screamed as his hands were pinned behind his back, pathetically pleading for them not to take him.

"Please! Stop! Let me go! Let me go!”

He yelped, his entire body thrashing and convulsing. His head was slammed into the concrete by one of the officers, causing him to whimper in pain. He fell still, tears pouring down his cheeks as he watched Demencia desperately fight in the distance, only to be overpowered and handcuffed. Panic started to set in and before he knew it he was shaking and hyperventilating, his anxiety overwhelming him in an instant. He didn’t fight back as he was dragged towards a police van with a separate compartment for containing prisoners, wincing as he was roughly shoved inside. He curled up in a ball on the floor, his thoughts racing a mile a minute as his panic attack kicked into full swing. There was no way this could be happening. This just wasn’t possible.There was no way this wasn’t some fucked up nightmare. Nothing like this could ever happen in reality, right? Black Hat was unstoppable. Invincible. No mortal weapon could hurt him. He should have won easily. This wasn't even within the realms of possibility. So how was it happening? Flug had no idea. He shuddered at the sound of Demencia’s pained yelling, kicking and screaming as she has forced into the police van. The door was locked behind them, and Flug heard the sound of sirens blaring as they began to drive off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reading my little fic. I'm sorry that it's not that good, as I'm pretty rusty when it comes to writing fanfiction. There will be more chapters to come in the future, but don't expect a consistent update schedule.


	2. Brainstorming

Flug pressed his knees into his chest, trying to shield himself as well as he could from the surrounding stimuli. He felt dizzy and lightheaded, as if he was being asphyxiated, all the air he inhaled getting caught in his throat. His head was spinning, unable to fully process what was going on around him. He strained his wrists against his handcuffs, the metal digging into his skin as he struggled. The lack of mobility only served to heighten his fear, his entire body quivering. He was trembling violently now, terror flooding his nervous system and pumping anxiety through his blood. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. He was certain he was going to die. His paper bag was beginning to disintegrate at this point, holes tearing in the soggy remnants of the material. He rubbed his bare cheek against the cold floor, trying to ground himself somewhat. He could hear the rhythmic thrumming of the motor vehicle loud and clear, and found himself somewhat comforted by the mechanical noises. Breathe. He sucked in a labored breath through clenched teeth, relaxing as the sensation of suffocation began to evanesce. As he began calm down, his ears fixated on the sound of Demencia shrieking her lungs out, worry gnawing at his gut as he listened to the sounds of her suffering. Her agonized howling made his stomach twist with sorrow and pity, and he simply couldn’t stand to listen to it. Gathering his strength, he lifted his head up. 

“Demencia! P-please settle down. It’s okay. Everything is going to be ok.”

Demencia glared down at him, her mismatched eyes filled to the brim with tears.

“No it fucking isn’t! Black Hat could be hurt or worse, and we got nabbed be the cops! We’re beyond fucked!”

She bawled, rubbing her dripping mascara off her face with her shoulder.

"Demencia, please calm down! Now is not the time to panic.”

Demencia snorted, a faint smile upon her lips.

“You’re one to talk.”

Flug sighed, shakily standing up and walking over to her. He wobbled as he ambled over to her, nearly tripping over his own feet. Demencia giggled as he sat down at her side, a playful mocking tone in her voice.

“You seem to be quite shaken up yourself, ya hypocrite.”

Flug groaned, shifting his position slightly.

“Well, maybe a little bit of panicking is fine. But we need to come up with a plan.”

Demencia elbowed him, laughter lighting up her face.

“Well, then come up with a plan smart guy! You’re the brains of the operation, are you not?”

Flug gave a halfhearted chuckle, nudging her away from him.

“Alright, alright. I’m sure I’ll think of something”

Demencia flashed a toothy grin, still giggling profusely.

“C’mon Fluggy, you’ve got this! I’ll listen to whatever you say!”

Flug snorted.

“That’s a first.”

“Hey!”

Demencia protested, sticking out her tongue. Flug snickered, then exhaled, gathering his thoughts.

“Hmm... I think I have an idea.”

He muttered.

"Well spit it out brainiac, we don’t have all day!”

“You know how there’s a rumor going around that Black Hat kidnapped me and is holding me against my will?”

Pssh, yeah, I’ve heard it. It’s ridiculous, honestly. I’m not sure why people think that.”

“It is preposterous, but the guards don’t know that, right? I was thinking maybe I could trick them into thinking that’s, the truth, and then maybe they’ll let me off the hook.”

Demencia nodded, smiling slyly.

“That’s a good idea! But what about me?”

Flug paused.

“Maybe you could... give the guards a hard time for me. Really put on a show. That would help tremendously.”

Demencia cackled, jabbing at him with her elbow.

“You know I can! Causing chaos is my favorite hobby!”

Flug inspected her expression, his heart aching at the sight of her tear stained face. Her eyes were still red and puffy, with her eye makeup running everywhere. She was still sniffling and hiccuping, her body not fully settled from her freakout.

“Are you gonna be ok?”

He asked, unable to mask the concern in his voice.

“Don’t gimme that Flugster. I can handle this, no sweat!”

“I know you can. I believe in you. You just look so upset is all. I’d totally give you a hug if I wasn’t handcuffed right now.”

“Pssh, you big softie.”

Flug glowered at her, knitting his brows in frustration.

“I am not soft!”

Flug objected, turning his head the other way.

Demencia flung herself at him with all her might, nuzzling her forehead into his chest. Flug wheezed as she knocked him over, his head smacking on the floor. Demencia’s laughter became hysterical as he sat himself back up, groaning quietly.

“You really are just a big ole softie!”

Demencia teased.

Flug sighed, resigning himself to her lighthearted mocking.

“Perhaps I am. I wasn’t aware it was a crime to care that you were upset.”

“You gotta lighten up Flug-a-bug! Quit worrying so much! I can smell your uneasiness from here.

” Flug giggled.

“And what does it smell like?”

“Sweat and soggy paper.”

Despite himself, Flug laughed.

Demencia leaned in closer to him, her mass of neon green hair falling into his lap.

“Hey, not to contradict myself, but how’re you gonna convince the guards that you’re just an innocent victim? You’re not exactly the best actor ya know.”

Flug gave her a dirty look.

“I take offense to that.”

Swallowing back an agitated response, he exhaled slowly.

“You’d be surprised, Demencia. I’m the king of overreacting. I can drive myself to tears by just thinking about something that gives me anxiety.”

Demencia smirked, her contradistinct eyes alight with self satisfaction.

“I bet you’re the only person in the whole word who can think themselves into a mental breakdown.”

“It’s both a blessing and a curse.”

The van suddenly came to a stop, causing them both to jostle in place. They scrambled up to their feet, both aware that they had arrived. Flug found himself huddling closer to Demencia, fear pricking within him once again.

“Do you really think we can save Black Hat?”

Demencia questioned, uncertainty clouding her gaze. Flug straightened his posture, trying to appear as confident as possible.

“We can. I know we can. We’ve got to. Failure is not an option.”

They heard the sound of the door being unlocked from the other side. They both tensed.

“You’ve got this Demencia. I believe in you. You’ve just got to trust me.”

Demencia gulped.

“I do. Promise.”

A man stepped inside, ready to retrieve them and haul them off to jail.

“Give em’ hell for me Demencia.”

“You know I will”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the all the positive responses to the first chapter! You guys are all awesome! Sorry this chapter is so dialogue heavy. I wasn't really sure what else to fill it with. I hope you guys like Flug and Demencia being sweet besties. I personally interpret them to be best friends with a sibling-like relationship, even though their canon portrayal suggests otherwise. I hope you don't mind, and thank you for reading!


	3. Interrogation

As soon as the officer tried to grab Demencia by her waist, she immediately began screaming. The man jumped back, and the second his guard was down, she head butted him, knocking him into the ground. Stumbling, she made a break for the exit, only to be stopped by two more guards entering the vehicle, who immediately grabbed her by the shoulders. She yowled, swiveling her head about and snapping at them with her fangs, trying to sink her teeth into one of them. Demencia shrieked as she was dragged along, and Flug’s stomach lurched as he watched them push her. The man on the ground muttered a request for backup into his walkie talkie, then stood, ready to retrieve Flug. Now was his chance. Flug launched himself into the man’s arms, forcing tears out of his tired eyes. 

“Thank you so much for saving me from that a-awful demon! I thought I’d never be rescued!”

He cried, body beginning to shake. He felt positively disgusted, despising himself for saying such vile things about his boss, but he knew that following his plan was the only way they could save him. He glanced up at the man’s surprised expression, hoping that his acting was good enough to fool him. 

“What?” 

The man faltered, backing away from Flug slightly. 

“That t-terrible monster kidnapped me and then f-forced me to work for him. I thought I’d be enslaved to him forever! But now he’s gone, and I’m free! Thank you!”

He wailed, slumping against the man’s chest as he wept. The man looked nonplussed, whispering something into his walkie talkie before addressing Flug.

“I’m sorry that happened to you, mister. But we’re still going to have to take you in for interrogation.” 

Flug nodded. “O-okay” He stammered, senses tingling with nervous energy. Without resisting, he allowed the man to lead him into the building, shoulders hunched and head bowed. To his right, Demencia was being pinned to the ground by several armed guards, restraining her limbs as she thrashed aimlessly and screeched her throat raw. It took all of Flug’s self control not to beg them to stop. He followed the man into a nearby room with nothing but a table and two uniformed officers. His handcuffs were removed, and he timidly sat across from the officers. 

“Alright sir, we’re going to ask you a few questions. Please answer honestly.”

The taller if the two said quietly. Bracing himself, Flug nodded.

“What is your legal name?” “Um, my n-name is Doctor Flug Slys.”

Flug realized he sounded terrified. She couldn’t control his stuttering when he was afraid, and he cursed himself for being unable to keep his emotions under wraps.

“Alright Doctor Flug, what are your qualifications?”

“I uh, have a PhD in a-aerospace engineering and a Masters in theoretical physics. I also studied software and p-programming independently.”

The shorter officer smiled, warmth in his hazel eyes.

“You must be a very gifted engineer. Where did you graduate?”

Flug took a deep breath.

“The M-Massachusetts Institute of Technology.”

“I see. Now, what did you do before you came to work for Black Hat?”

Gulping, Flug answered.

“I was an airplane m-mechanic. I worked for DAL G-Global Services. I also was a freelance i-inventor on the side.”

The taller officer scribbled down something in his notebook, then looked up.

“How did you end up working for Black Hat?”

Shit. Flug needed to come up with a lie fast.

“I-I uhm, h-he just...”

Flug whimpered, anxiety burning behind his eyes. He then realized his easy out, and began to cry.

“Sir?”

The officers questioned in unison. Flug began to bawl hysterically.

“I-I c-can’t talk about it r-right now it... it’s too horrible! It h-hurts just to think about! I’m sorry, I’m s-so sorry.”

He sobbed, hanging his head in shame. He felt incredibly uncomfortable displaying weakness so flagrantly in front of authorities, but he didn’t really have a choice.

“It’s okay! Don’t be upset, you can answer later! We’ll just go into the other room and get the info for your ID!”

Exclaimed the shorter officer. Flug let out a sigh of relief.

“Aah, thank you both s-so much, officers.”

The two men smiled broadly.

“It’s no problem. Come with me. Daryl, you wait here.”

Said the taller officer. Flug nodded wordlessly, and followed him into another room. In the center of the room, stood a camera. Flug’s stomach dropped.

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to remove your paper bag. We need to take your photo for your ID.”

Flug shook his head.

“P-please don’t make me take it off.”

The officer’s eyes darkened.

“Sir, this is a mandatory procedure. You have to take it off.”

Flug felt panic rise in his chest. The thought of just being seen bagless was enough to terrify him, and the thought of having his bare face photographed made him feel like he was about to faint. He doubled over, bag crinkling as he pressed his hands into it.

“No! I c-can’t let you see my f-face!”

He stuttered, hunching his shoulders and drawing in his head. Giving a frustrated sigh, the officer reached over and tried to grab the bag from his head.

“Stop!”

Flug yelped, pulling away from him.

“Doctor Flug! Cease this behavior at once. This is a violation of our protocol. I need to do this. I don’t have a choice.”

Without hesitation, he ripped the bag off Flug’s head. Flug gave a strangled cry, pressing his hands to his face immediately. But it was too late. The officer’s eyes widened in shock.

“Oh my god...”

Flug dug his fingernails into his skin, feeling tears of embarrassment and self loathing swimming behind his eyes. The ugly chemical burn scars that marred his lower jaw were on full display, disgust swirling in his gut as he felt the officers eyes glaring daggers through him. He wanted to throw up.

“P-please don’t look at me...”

He whimpered, knees buckling beneath him as he sank to the ground. His chest heaved as he began to hyperventilate, his heart pounding and his body trembling. He felt so pathetic. He wished he could just be calm under pressure, but he was never able to remain level headed. His feelings always got the better of him, and he hated himself for it. He knew he needed to comply with the officer’s demands, otherwise he’d risk ruining his plan and getting caught, but he just couldn’t help it. He overheard the officer saying something, but his mind couldn’t process the words. He glanced up at him with bleary eyes, his head pounding with dizzy lightheadedness. The room was spinning all around him, and the officer’s words sounded reverberant and distorted. He gave a raspy groan, tilting his head backwards. His matted brown hair splayed out all over the floor, and he found himself grabbing fistfuls of his tangled locks and tugging with all his might. It was a nervous habit, and a rather self destructive one at that, it did help to keep him grounded in reality. He scratched at his scalp, resisting the urge to drag his fingernails down his face and rip his scar tissue off. Focusing in a little bit, he was able to clearly make out the officer asking him a question.

“What happened to you?”

He shook his head furiously. He was ruining everything. He would never be able to rescue Black Hat at this rate. Why did he have to be such a fuck up? He couldn't take this anymore. He wanted to die.

“B-Black Hat...”

he moaned feebly, a shiver running up his spine.

“Black Hat did this to you?”

The officer inquired, his giving him a concerned look. Flug swallowed hard.

“H-he attacked me. I w-wear the bag to mask the d-damage he did.”

This of course, was a blatant falsification. He had gotten his scars from an unfortunate lab accident a few years prior. It was nobody’s fault but his own, but the officer seemed to believe his bullshit lie.

“That’s so horrible! I knew Black Hat was evil, but I never thought his would maul his own subordinates! Absolutely unforgivable...”

Flug, sat up shakily, his mind racing with convincing lies he could tell to paint himself in a sympathetic light.

“Black Hat was a-awful to me. He t-treated me like garbage.”

The officer looked mortified.

“What kinds of things did he do?”

Flug bit his lip, feeling guilty.

“He would c-constantly threaten to hurt me if I didn’t get my work done. And if I f-failed to meet his demands, he would, umm, chain me up and beat me.”

Flug hated making his boss look so awful. Black Hat was temperamental and grumpy, sure, but he was hardly ever physical with him. He certainly wasn’t an easy boss to work under, but Flug believed the constant pressure helped him to perform better. The immense amount stress was probably seriously affecting his mental health, but he couldn’t imagine living his life any other way.

“I don’t know what to say... Black Hat is truly despicable. He will be punished soon enough, however.”

“P-punished?”

The officer gave him a gentle smile.

“That repulsive demon is slated to be executed. You’ll have your justice soon.”

Flug suddenly felt nauseous. He crawled over to the corner of the room, and before he could scream or protest, he vomited. This wasn’t happening. There was no way this could be happening. They couldn’t just kill Black Hat, right? That wasn’t fair! His entire life would be destroyed!

“Are you alright?”

Flug braced his hands to his stomach, and let out a gurgled screech.

“No! No no n-no no! G-God, please no!”

The man’s gaze softened.

“Doctor Flug, it’s very clear that you are not well. We have a psychologist on hand, I think it would be good if went to see her.” Flug couldn’t find it in himself to say anything. The man rapidly took his measurements and had his fingerprints impressed in ink upon a slip of paper, gathering all of the data Flug needed for his ID. Flug was silent as the man guided him down a long hallway into a small, cozy room with sweet looking old lady sitting at a desk. The officer whispered something into her ear, and she nodded. He then turned and left the room, leaving to two of them alone.

“Hello Dr. Flug. It’s nice to meet you. My name is Dr. Johnson. What seems to be the issue today?”

Flug put his hands in his lap, shifting uncomfortably.

“My uh, f-former boss, Black Hat... he’s...”

Flug needed come up with some more lies, fast.

“I c-can’t stop thinking about what he d-did to me. I’m s-so scared.”

Her eyes were filled to the brim with curiosity.

“What did he do to you?”

Flug closed his eyes.

“D-dreadful things. He would kick me until I c-couldn’t move and choke me until I passed out. He would torture me for days on end if I d-disobeyed him. I thought for sure he’d k-kill me.”

She looked somewhat skeptical.

“Then why did you decide to work for him?”

“I didn’t! He enslaved me and he f-forced me to! I had no choice!”

She knitted her brows, still somewhat doubtful. Flug was already desperate. He rolled up the sleeves of his lab coat, shoving his wrists on the table.

“Look what he did to me!”

Flug cried. His arms were covered in neat rows of scars, some faded and some fresh.

“What happened?”

“Uhm... he uhh, t-took a knife and m-marked me. One g-gash for each time I failed him.”

Flug was lying through his teeth. All of the scars that lined his arms were self inflicted, but he didn’t want to talk about that. He was just trying to get her to pity him, really. Luckily, it seemed to work. Flug rambled on for ages about what his boss supposedly did to him, before finally being interrupted by the psychologist.

“Did he also do these things to your coworker? They brought her into see me earlier, but she tried to attack me. We had to put her in solitary confinement.”

Flug immediately cracked.

“Don’t hurt her!”

He yelled, clasping his hands together. The woman jumped backwards, clearly startled.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s n-not her fault!”

She gave him a bewildered look.

“You’re going to have to clarify that.”

“D-Demencia isn’t a bad person. She was just, uhm, brainwashed! He used his p-powers to turn her into an unstoppable fighting machine!”

This made her pause.

“I see...”

“She doesn’t d-deserve to be hurt just because of what Black Hat did to her. She’s... my friend. I know there’s a way I can get her b-back to normal. You j-just need to trust me.”

Her eyes narrowed into slits.

“Very well. You are an esteemed inventor, correct? I’m sure you can build a device that will help her. We can provide you with whatever you need to make what you need, but we will monitor you closely.”

Flug gasped.

“Really? You’d d-do that for me! Thank you so much!”

“Is there anything you need right now, Dr. Flug?”

Flug yawned.

“I think what I n-need right now is... to go to sleep. I don’t think I’ve ever been more exhausted.”

“Of course. I’ll take you to your room.”

Flug followed her to a comfortable looking bedroom, and he flopped down on the bed as soon as she turned to leave. He kicked off his shoes haphazardly, feeling himself already begin to drift off. He sighed, his stomach churning with worry. His mind was plagued by nonstop thoughts about what could be happening to Black Hat and Demencia, shuddering as he imagined the potential inhumane maltreatment. 

“Don’t worry, I will save you.”

He murmured, and with that, he fell into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Sorry it took so long to finish this chapter. I've just been a little busy lately, so sorry about the wait! The next chapter will be from Black Hat's POV, so prepare yourselves for some good ole fashioned suffering.


	4. Excruciation

Black Hat’s eyes blinked open, senses on high alert as he scanned the surrounding darkness. A deep pain had settled over his body, and he found himself rendered completely immobile. He began thrashing about, growling and snarling as he struggled against the restraints. His memory of how he’d gotten here was completely blank. He was dazed and confused, but he was well aware that he was in danger. He knew he had to escape. 

“Flug! Demencia! Where are you?”

He demanded, flicking his tongue in annoyance.

“Ah, I see you’ve finally come to.”

A voice emanated from somewhere. The lights flickered on suddenly, and he hissed as the brightness momentarily blinded him. Squinting, he could barely make out the silhouette of a person standing a few feet away from him. He bared his fangs as the mysterious stranger began to step out of the shadows, who had apparently been watching him as he struggled and scratched his claws against the armrests of the chair he was tied to. The stranger’s eyes gleamed with malice as he reached out and grabbed Black Hat by the chin, eliciting a hostile grunt from the demon.

“Unhand me right now, you inferior lowlife! I command you to release me at once! I’ll tear you limb from limb! I’ll eviscerate you and use your organs to decorate my manor if you don’t set me free this instant!”

The man simply giggled, taunting Black Hat with his mocking laughter. Teeth gritting with fury, Black Hat attempted to summon a shadowy tendril so he could choke that smug look off his face, but found himself unable to. His body convulsed, shaking violently as he tried to use his powers. But nothing happened.

“What’s the matter? Having a little trouble there? How cute.”

Black Hat was seething with rage at this point, frothing at the mouth and fists clenched.

“How dare you! Do you know who I am? I will not tolerate this disrespect, especially from a pitiful human such as yourself. You will tell me what’s going on this instant, or I will skewer you!”

The man smirked, slicking back his jet black hair and giving a bemused hum. 

“Temper, temper. It would serve you well to control yourself for once in your life.”

Black Hat swiveled his neck in an attempt to sink his fangs into the human’s neck, only to be assaulted by a powerful electric current. He arched his back and bit back an agonized screech, gritting his teeth and baring the pain. Through blurred eyes, his saw the man holding down a button on a remote, still looking terribly self satisfied as he watched the demon writhe and suffer. After what felt like an eternity, the human switched off the remote, leaving Black Hat silently panting.

“That certainly shut you up.”

The human mused, eyes aglow with sadistic pride.

“Who do you think you are?”

Black Hat spat breathlessly, his entire body quaking with rage.

“You don’t recognize me? Well, I’m not really surprised. You’ve never met me. You’ve only ever met my dear brother.”

Black Hat narrowed his eyes, trying to place his likeness.

“Moonbeam? You’re his brother?”

The man flashed a sheepish smile.

“Yep, that’s me. Oliver Scott, Moonbeam’s beloved baby brother. I was always so proud of my brother when he decided to join the Astral Superhero League. I was so happy he wanted to use his powers for good. I helped him out the best I could, although I didn’t have superpowers like he did. I loved him so much.”

He shot Black Hat a glare that could shatter glass, eyes filled with hatred.

“But then you ruined everything. You murdered him. You took my precious brother away from me, and I’ll never forgive you for it.”

Black Hat had to restrain laughter.

“I don’t want your pitiful forgiveness.”

He scoffed.

“Good. Revenge is so much sweeter than forgiveness, anyways.”

Oliver tilted his head back, chuckling softly to himself.

“I’ll make you pay for what you did to my family. You’ll be in excruciating pain til the moment you die. I’ll make sure of it.”

Black Hat snorted.

“Hah! You can’t kill me. Your pathetic mortal weapons can not harm me.”

Oliver pressed a button on his remote, causing sharp metal spikes to impale his arms and legs. Black Hat swallowed a pained yelp, forcing himself not to crack under the pressure. The spikes retracted, dripping with fluorescent green blood. Black Hat waited patiently for the wounds to heal and the pain to dissipate. Nothing happened. Oliver’s self righteous smirk twisted into a depraved grin, eyes widened with cruel pleasure.

“Perhaps that was the case once, but not anymore. We’ve stripped you of your powers, leaving you impervious to any method of torture we see fit. You’re just as mortal as I.” Black Hat lashed out, flailing desperately in an attempt to escape the chair.

“That’s impossible! Absolutely unheard of! Stop speaking such nonsense at once!”

Oliver smacked him hard across the face, causing him to flinch backwards.

“I don’t take orders from you!”

Oliver yelled, saliva spewing from his mouth. Black Hat refused to cower. 

“If you value your own life, I recommend you do!”

He bellowed, trying once again swipe at him. Oliver turned his remote on once again, electrocuting him ruthlessly.

“Need I remind you that you’re the one with your life at stake? You seem to have forgotten.“

Air whistled through Black Hat’s teeth as he exhaled, determined not to give Oliver the satisfaction of screaming. The electricity finally ceased, and Black Hat was left heaving.

“It feels so wonderful to to have you completely helpless, bound and at my mercy. I could kill you right now, if I wanted to. But I won’t. It’s far too early for that. Luckily for us, the fun has just begun.”

And with that, he pressed the button on the remote once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter! I’ve been really busy with midterms, but once winter break starts, I’ll have more time to write.


	5. Engineering

Flug awoke with a start, his heart beating out of his chest. He couldn’t quite place why he was feeling so terrified, but panic surged over him regardless. He bolted out of his room and sprinted into the hallway, moving as fast as his feet could carry him. His sneakers skidded as he rounded a corner, the uncomfortable squeak ringing in his ears as he continued. In his mindless dash, he bumped into one of the employees of the compound, his face smacking into the floor as he was knocked over. 

“I’m sorry!”

He cried, shifting his hands to shield himself. The stranger looked at him with sympathy in her eyes, offering him a pleasant smile as she tried to help him up.

“No, it’s my fault. You’re Dr. Flug, correct? I’ve heard about you. You were given clearance to work in one of our labs so you can help an inmate, from what I’ve been told. Is that right?”

Flug nodded, still panting and out of breath.

“Y-yes, that’s true.”

The woman’s blue eyes lit up, an expression of excitement crossing her face.

“Oh! I was just sent to get you! Follow me, your lab is this way.”

Flug decided that she was trustworthy enough, and allowed her to lead him deeper into the compound. They maneuvered through a labyrinth of twists and turns, becoming lost within the maze-like structure of the facility. After several minutes of pointless wandering, they arrived at their destination, the young woman looking somewhat flustered for leading him astray. Flug thanked her as she hurried away, rushing along to attend to her other duties. Flug stepped inside the laboratory, and was instantly stunned by the sophisticated array of machinery and equipment within, his eyes widening and mouth gaping. The laboratory was covered wall to wall in elaborate hardware, fully decked out with all the latest technology. He rubbed his hands together with glee, enthralled at the chance to work with such unusual devices. He darted over to the work desk, and was overjoyed to find the staff had set out a lab coat, gloves and googles, and after digging around some, he was even able to find a fresh paper bag in one of the cabinets. He pulled it over his head, taking a moment to inhale it’s relaxing scent. Calm washed over him, the anxiety gnawing at the back of his mind finally dissipating. Grabbing the nearest scalpel, he carefully sliced eye holes into paper bag, and snapped his googles over them, feeling confident and ready to work. He put on the lab coat and gloves, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet as he began drawing up a blueprint.

“Let’s see...”

he mused, humming to himself as he scribbled.

“The gun they used looked kind of look my Evil Energy Enhancer. If I could just recreate it, then it might be helpful.”

One of Black Hat’s clients had commissioned the enhancer in order to gain more power and become unstoppable in a fight, but Black Hat had deemed it unusable after it didn’t work on him, and demanded that the prototype and blueprints be thrown out. As it turns out, the reason it didn’t work was because Black Hat had a near infinite amount of evil energy already, and trying to magnify his massive amount of power was pointless. Flug had scrambled to make a new version, but the client had already cancelled at that point. Flug hadn’t even given the invention a second thought after that, but he figured this superhero organization must have somehow gotten their hands on it and created an Evil Energy Reducer.

“I wonder how they snagged it, right under Black Hat’s nose, err, lack there of.”

He snickered at his own bad joke as furiously jotted down notes in the margins of his blueprint, his mind racing with thoughts and ideas.

“They must have reverse engineered my invention in order to create the gun that took down Black Hat. It probably has a different power source, however. If I could just... build an updated version of my previous creation, use it to revitalize Demencia, this plan could actually work!”

He scratched his chin, doing his best to recall the gun’s exact design specifications as well as he could.

“I’ll have to add some healing capabilities to the ray as well, because Demencia will probably be in pretty bad shape by the time I’m finished with this.”

He shuddered at the memory of the guards pushing Demencia around, restraining her and shackling her in handcuffs like she was some kind of dangerous criminal. Of course, Demencia was a dangerous criminal, and one with superpowers and extensive martial arts training to boot. Regardless, it was sickening to watch them treat her with such contempt.

“I really hope she’s ok... if anything happens to her I-I’ll-“

He sucked in a deep breath through his clenched teeth, air rushing through his words and pausing his speech. The possibility of the lab he was in being monitored by security cameras had occurred to him, so he shut his mouth. He was fairly certain they couldn’t decipher his true intentions through his notes, as they were mostly technical jargon about measurements, power requirements and essential materials. As he worked, he felt a steadily growing rage twitch at his fingertips, fury building within him as he contemplated what these so called heroes could be doing to Demencia and Black Hat. Sure, he was probably getting sidetracked my all of this useless anger, but he couldn’t help but dwell on it. 

“If they hurt Black Hat in any way... I swear...”

He muttered quietly, his fingers tensing and body stiffening. “I’ll k-kill them. All of them.”

He figured he should probably add some attacking capabilities to the ray gun just in case he was put in a tough spot, but that would likely be difficult if his project was under the supervision of the personnel here.

“If I could get my hands on some titanium-doped sapphire without raising any suspicion... I could implement another mode that would allow the gun to fire high frequency ultrasound pulses... then it could be used as both an energy enhancer and a weapon.”

He slipped his fingers under his bag and ran his fingers through his tangled hair, his knuckles getting caught in the matted locks. He then continued scrawling down adjustments for the design of the ray gun, making sure it was perfect before he started working on it. He flapped his hands about feverishly, overcome with exhilaration when he finished his blueprint and started digging through spare parts in order to construct his machine. He began to create the frame of the gun out of aluminum, as it was a strong and durable metal. He toiled away for hours, forging each individual part of the ray gun out of the pieces of scrap metal he was provided. He was used to working nonstop for incredibly long stretches of time, as he had always pushed himself to meet Black Hat’s deadlines. It was less about fear of punishment than it was out of passion for his craft, as even though it was draining and sometimes risky, he loved his line of work. He couldn’t picture living his life any other way. Although he did like working in this clean and comfortable new lab without the threat of being disciplined looming over him, the unfamiliarity of this working environment made him feel homesick.

He missed his own messy lab, with all of his personal possessions and his repertory of inventions. He missed 5.0.5 with all of his heart, and he wished he could run home and give him a big hug. 

“He must be so scared and alone.”

He murmured, a resigned worry settling over his mind. The bear was probably hiding somewhere, lonely and terrified, wondering where his beloved companions were. Flug wanted to be there to comfort and reassure the poor creature, and stroke his fingers through his soft blueberry scented fur. He missed Demencia, even though it had only been a few days since he’d seen her last. He missed playing video games with her, even though he always got his ass throughly kicked. He even missed her constant mischief and pranks, and all of her annoying questions. Her messing with his lab was actually kind of a welcome distraction, as it prevented him from being left alone with his thoughts for too long. She was the only person he could really speak to in the manor, and it probably prevented him from going insane. She wasn’t great in conversation, but she did give him someone to talk to when he was feeling down. She was probably his closest friend, even if he didn’t want to fully admit it. But most of all, he missed Black Hat.

He missed his boss’s confident leadership, his strength and charisma, and his cruelty and his ruthlessness. He was a force to be reckoned with, and Flug’s ideal in every way. He was strong, capable and powerful; everything Flug wasn’t. Regardless, he still idolized him and strived towards becoming like him. Flug didn’t mind that his viciousness occasionally extended to his employees. Black Hat rarely did anything outside of making empty threats, and Flug wasn’t really hurt unless he made a severe mistake. It was nothing he couldn’t handle. Flug couldn’t get enough of that aura of raw malevolence that radiated from him, his dominating presence, his gravely voice, his wicked smile... Flug was getting ahead of himself. He wanted more than anything for Black Hat to appreciate his efforts, to acknowledge his hard work and praise him. He wished he could work well enough to impress him, but he never seemed to be good enough. But on the rare occasions where he produced outstanding work, it felt like pure ecstasy, his entire body overwhelmed with prideful bliss. Saying he cared deeply for Black Hat was an understatement. He was his world, his everything. His entire life’s work was dedicated to him. He was loyal to him in every breath, in every movement, in every whisper. That’s why he had to save him. If Black Hat died, Flug’s life wouldn’t have purpose. He would lose his everything. And with that, he sped up his production.

Before he knew it, the prototype was almost complete, lacking only a power source. He would have to study the heroes’ modified gun in order to implement it, but he was sure he could arrange it. He stretched, back popping and cracking as he leaned over his chair. He glanced over at the clock, and found himself unsure of how much time had elapsed, as it appeared to be broken. Just as we was about to shuffle back to his room, an employee burst into the room, looking somewhat alarmed. His gaze softened as he looked at Flug, relief washing over his face.

“Oh. You’ve just been in here the whole time. We thought you might have tried to bail or something.”

Flug craned his neck to get a better look at the man, trying to blink the exhaustion out of his bleary eyes.

“How l-long has it been?” 

“48 hours, give or take. But you weren’t even supposed to be here. I think our intern lead you to the wrong laboratory.”

Flug felt pang of nervousness rocket through his body, shaking him to his core. 

“O-oh. I d-didn’t know. I-I’m sorry, I sh-shouldn’t have- I didn’t d-damage anything I swear!”

He blurted out.

“Don’t worry, it’s alright. Did you get any work done while you were here?”

“I f-finished the p-prototype for my, err, revitalization ray. All it needs now is a power source. I could be p-provided with titanium-doped sapphires? Or could I possibly study the g-gun used to take down that demon? It would help me tremendously.”

The man scratched his chin, looking somewhat pensive.

“Hmm. I think I’d have to ask the higher ups about providing you with more materials. And Sunburst is still in possession of that gun, but he’s taking residence on the compound as the moment, so perhaps the director could organize a meeting.”

Flug smiled faintly to himself.

“That would be splendid."

And with that, he headed back to his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! Have some gay exposition from Flug as an apology, of sorts


	6. Conniving

Flug awoke with a pit in his stomach, dread clawing at his heart as he slowly sat up in bed. Trying to push his nervousness aside, he dressed in the clothes the staff had provided, which was just a plain white button up and slacks. He pulled his dirty lab coat out from under his bed and slipped it on over his clothes, feeling somewhat comforted by the soft, familiar feel of the worn fabric. He washed his face in the nearby sink, scrubbing vigorously in an attempt to feel more awake. He stared blankly at the mirror, peering into the glassy eyes of his reflection. He was somewhat unsettled by his own face, as it seemed unfamiliar and strange. The scar tissue that marred his lower jaw had warped his self perception, and because of this, he no longer recognized his face as his own. He gave a breathy sigh as he pulled a spare paper bag over his head, and carefully undid the clasp of his googles and fastened it around the bag. He felt anxiety rising up in his chest again, threading to consume him, but he pushed his worries to the back of his mind, heading with a confident stride towards the door. Today was the day he was going to have his conference with Sunburst. He headed out into the hall, clenching tightly his fists until his fingernails started digging into his palms. He knew he was at least an hour early, but he didn’t care. Better safe than sorry. Screwing up his scheduled meeting with Sunburst would be absolutely disastrous. He’d been stressing about this encounter ever since the date was assigned, and his mild worry had contorted into deluded paranoia. He’d had nightmares about accidentally revealing his treachery right in front of Sunburst, or botching his revitalization ray, or worse, being too late to save Black Hat. He gulped at the thought of what might happen to his boss if he made a mistake. He closed his eyes and shook his head. 

No.

He wasn’t going to let that happen.

He was going to meet with Sunburst today, and he was going to nail it. Everything would go according to plan. He couldn’t afford failure, after all. He stepped into the room that was their designated meeting place, and was somewhat surprised to see that Sunburst was already present, accompanied by two bodyguards. A chill fluttered down his spine as the cold eyes of the bodyguards fixated on him, judging him with silent malevolence. He stiffly trudged towards Sunburst, and reached out to give him an awkward handshake before sitting down. Sunburst’s hands were incredibly warm against Flug’s cold, clammy palms, and he found himself shivering, then shifting slightly in an attempt to hide his discomfort.

“Uhm, it’s n-nice to meet you, Sunburst. My name is Dr. Flug.”

Sunburst offered a cordial smile.

“You can just call me Ryan. There’s no need to refer to me by my superhero alias.”

Flug nodded, a lump in his throat as he prepared to negotiate.

“As I’m sure you already know, I’m w-working on a, err, device, of sorts, in order to h-help an inmate.”

Flug nervously tugged at the collar of his shirt, eyes trailing to the floor as he spoke.

“And uh, it would be quite useful if I c-could borrow the weapon you used to take down Bl- err, that demon.”

Sunburst narrowed his eyes, but then nodded slowly.

“Very well. I brought the gun here so I could allow you to inspect it. You have full permission to use it for the purposes of your research.”

Flug let out a sigh of relief, the tension that had built up in his muscles finally releasing. He hadn’t expected it to be that easy.

“Although,”

Sunburst added.

“I’d like to ask you a few questions first.”

Flug’s heart lurched, the fear returning in an instant.

“W-well, that’s o-okay, I g-guess.”

He stammered, voice cracking.

“I saw you and your co-worker on the day of Black Hat’s capture. Why did you run towards him? And why did you initially resist arrest?”

Shit. Flug needed to come up with a convincing lie, fast.

“Uhh, well, I didn’t think it was p-possible for him to be d-defeated like that. If I t-turned on him the second he went down, he’d probably kill me.”

Sunburst shot him a skeptical look, brows raised and lips curved downwards into a frown.

“Still, you’ve been his right hand man for years. Why did you never reach out for help?”

Flug stifled the urge to roll his eyes.

“B-because, I was terrified of him. If he sensed even the slightest inkling of d-disloyalty, he’d p-probably uhm, t-torture me until I begged for death.”

Sunburst leaded towards him, arms folded across his chest. 

“But if you’d simply contacted a superhero organization and ran, you could have been easily rescued!”

This incompetent hero was really trying his patience. He was sick of having to make up excuses.

“I don’t have a death wish!”

He snapped, clenching his fists and biting his lip.

“I d-don’t think you understand the extend of the c-control he had over me. There were s-security cameras everywhere, and if I stepped a toe out of line, he would f-find out.”

Sunburst went silent for a moment, a contemplative look on his face.

“Regardless, you did commit felonies while under his supervision, correct?”

Flug gave a violent shudder, his entire boy spasming. Sunburst has really put him into a trap. He couldn’t deny that he had committed crimes, and there was a serious chance that he could get in huge trouble for admitting that. Why did heroes have to make everything so difficult?

“I didn’t w-want to! I was s-so scared! Every day I feared for my l-life, with the possibility of severe p-punishment looming over me at all times! If I didn’t do what he orderer me to do, he’d h-hurt me!”

Sunburst looked mildly startled.

“And what exactly would he do to you?”

“W-well, he’d beat me until I was bloody and bruised, then leave me in a sobbing heap upon the floor. He’d take a b-blade to my skin and cut neat, symmetrical lines into the flesh, until b-blood went running everywhere and s-soaked my clothes. He would laugh as I whimpered and cried, and mock me as I b-begged him to stop. It was a living n-nightmare...”

Flug trailed off, shifting his hands into his lap.

“That’s so dreadful... I’m really sorry you had to endure such pain.”

Flug felt his stress begin to dissipate, settling comfortably in his chair as he relaxed. He’d finally gotten Sunburst to pity him.

“It’s alright, Ryan. It’s over now.”

The hero reached for a briefcase held by one of the bodyguards, and handed it to Flug, flashing him a gentle smile.

“I’m glad that you’ve decided to contribute to the forces of good, Dr. Flug. I hope that your invention will help that inmate.”

Flug wanted to gag, he forced himself to grin as he took the briefcase.

“Thank you. I w-wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.”

After Sunburst left, Flug all but dashed back to his room, and grabbed the unfinished model of the revitalization ray. He pried open the panel backing of the evil energy reducer and peered at its power source.

“Let’s see here... Ah! It’s powered by radioactive plutonium reflected through quartz fiberglass. If I can just... reverse the optical fiber to give off healing energy pulses, then it could work!”

He took both guns and headed off to the far less impressive lab they’d assigned him to work in, and within a matter of a few hours, his revitalization ray was complete. He signaled the director of the compound using a small remote, letting him know that the device was complete. He impatiently tapped his foot, waiting for an employee to be sent to his lab in order to test it. Once the employee arrived, she inspected the gun for any imperfections and wordlessly fired a shot at a potted plant in the corner of the room. The vines of the plant grew all the way to the ceiling, with leaves and thorns everywhere. It worked perfectly. 

“It works!”

Flug cried, happiness gripping his steadily beating heart. The then turned towards the employee, looking her dead in the eye.

“Can you take me to see Demencia? I want to help her right away.”

The young woman smiled and nodded, leading him outside the lab and down the hall. She gestured for him to follow, and they made their way through the maze-like compound. Flug wished that he could memorize the twists and turns of the facility, but he found himself stumbling through the halls blindly each time. After a few minutes, they arrived in front of a heavy looking metal door, which the lady unlocked and opened with slight difficulty. They stepped into a dimly lit, enclosed areas, with rows of prison chambers lining the walls. The eyes of countless criminals fixated on the pair, accompanied by the sounds of snarling and growling. Despite being a villain himself, Flug felt unnerved. They reached the end of the hall, and the lady unbolted the screws holding the door tightly shut. 

“She’s in there...”

Flug murmured, pinpricks of fear clouding his mind with worry. The door creaked open, and Flug marched inside, mentally preparing himself for what he might see. The minute he laid eyes on Demencia, he immediately felt nauseous. 

“O-oh God...”

She was wearing a dirty, blood-stained straight jacket, her arms bound to her chest and face muzzled. She was chained to the wall by her neck, waist and ankles, securing her against the concrete. Her skin was sickly pale and mottled with bruises and she was bleeding from her nose onto the muzzle that gagged her. Her hair was dull and matted, and it hung over her eyes. She was panting quietly, her entire body slumped over from exhaustion. It was disturbing to see the usually hyperactive girl so still, so utterly defeated.

“Demencia, it’s me...”

He said quietly, light on his feet as he padded towards her. She weakly lifted her head, and her eyes brightened as she saw him approach, struggling against the bonds and trying to speak through the muzzle.

“Don’t strain yourself. I’m gonna help you, so try to hold still.”

He pointed the gun at her, and she gave a muffled yelp, startling Flug into jumping out of skin.

“Relax! It’s not going to hurt you at all. I promise.”

Demencia nodded and fell still, but still screwed her eyes shut and turned away as he raised the gun once again. He curled his finger around the trigger and fired off a shot, hitting her in the stomach. The room fell silent, and Demencia went limp for a brief moment, before blinking open her eyes. Flug instructed the lady outside to free Demencia of her bonds, and she did so, opening up the chains and unclasping the hooks that kept the straight jacket shut. Flug dropped the gun to the floor and threw his arms around Demencia, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and drawing her in close.

“Hey!”

Demencia shouted, taking a step backwards on unsteady feet. Flug tightened his grip on her and rested his head in the crook of her neck, giving a shaky sigh as he embraced her.

“Demencia, I’m s-so sorry!”

He whimpered, feeling tears roll down his cheeks as he began to weep.

“Aww, jeez... don’t be like that, Flug. I’m fine, I swear.”

Regardless of her embarrassment, she returned the hug, rubbing his back in an attempt to comfort him. Flug craned his neck to face the lady, who was watching them with empty eyes.

“Uhm, could you g-give us some privacy? I want to t-talk to Demencia alone.”

The lady nodded and strolled outside the prison cell, leaving the two of them by themselves. Flug tried to compose himself as he pulled away from Demencia, sniffling as he reached under his bag to wipe away the tears that had fallen.

“So, what’s the plan from here on out?”

Demencia asked, stretching her arms out behind her.

“Keep your voice down. There might be cameras.”

Flug whispered urgently.

“Oh, right. Sorry, I’m a dumbass.”

She said, her voice quiet and hushed.

“It’s alright. So b-basically, we need to get our hands on a map of the compound, figure out where Black Hat is being c-contained, and sneak to that location undetected.”

Flug reached and picked the ray gun from off the ground, and handed it to her.

"This little contraption of mine will be able to return the b-boss’s powers, and he should be able to break us out of here easily.”

Flug flipped a switch on the side of the gun, causing the light glowing in the device’s glass chamber to turn from green to red.

“But just in case things go awry, the gun also f-functions as a weapon.”

Demencia grinned from ear to ear and playfully punched Flug’s shoulder, happiness gleaming in her mismatched eyes.

“Way to go, Flug-a-bug! You're a damn genius! We’ll actually be able to save him, thanks to you!”

Flug rubbed the back of his head, blushing somewhat beneath the bag.

“It’s nothing, really. You’re the one who h-had to endure imprisonment and isolation just for my makeshift p-plan to work. I’m really s-sorry that I put you through all this.”

“Pssh, it really wasn’t so bad. I had lots of fun terrorizing the people working in this shithole, their reactions to everything I said and did were just way too funny. Plus the lady guarding my cell had a great rack, so I had something to distract me from getting bored once I was restrained.”

Despite himself, Flug laughed quietly, and returned Demecia’s affectionate fake punch to the shoulder.

“God, I’m so glad to have you back.”

“The feeling is mutual.”

Demencia bounced on the balls of her heels, energetically shaking her arms about as she did so.

“Man, that ray you hit me with musta really fixed me up, because I feel great.”

A slight smile graced Flug’s lips.

“Awesome! That means it worked.”

Demencia started to head towards the door, swinging it open and gesturing for Flug to follow.

“C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

“Yeah, we can go back to my room. I’ll ask them to bring in a cot or something so you can sleep in there too.”

The two of them headed out of the prison compartment and into the hall, Flug feeling incredibly at ease with Demencia at his side. 

“So remember, you have to pretend like I cured you of your evil. I told them Black Hat brainwashed you into being a killing machine.”

Demencia snorted, giving Flug a light shove.

“That’s absolutely rich! What else did you tell them?”

Flug shoved her back with a little bit more force. 

“Oh, all kinds of nonsense. You’d really get a kick out of it.”

The two of them continued laughing and talking as they made their was through the compound, passing Flug’s tiny lab on their way. Neither of them stopped long enough to see inside, but if they had, they might have been concerned to find the plant Flug had tested the ray on was wilted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I swear I’ll try to update more often. The next chapter shouldn’t take so long, as it’s just going to be a short little snippet from Black Hat’s perspective. After that however, shit’s gonna get real, so strap in for a wild ride.


	7. Lividity

The lights in Black Hat’s containment chamber flickered back on after hours of being dim, causing his pupils to dilate. Black Hat didn’t so much as glance up, as he knew what this meant. Oliver was back. He watched as the dark haired man casually stride over to the chair where he was restrained, the same smug grin upon his lips. Black Hat refused to cower away from him, so he sat up slightly and glared at him, meeting his cocky gaze with an unwavering ferocity.

“Ah, Black Hat, so wonderful to see you. How are you today?”

Black Hat snarled, pointy teeth poking out from under his lip.

“I’ll disembowel you if you utter another word.”

Black Hat’s voice was low and raspy, all of the vigor he usually spoke with gone. 

“You can try, but I doubt you’ll have any luck.”

Oliver flicked the switch on the remote, sending pulses of electricity coursing through his body. Black Hat didn’t so much as twitch, completely still and silent as his body was fried. Oliver turned up the voltage to the highest setting, but Black Hat did not relent. He just gave Oliver the same soul-piercing stare, eyes dark with malice. Oliver switched off the remote, frowning.

“You’re no fun anymore, Black Hat. I liked it better when I could watch you fight the urge to scream, body shifting as you pathetically writhed in pain.”

Black Hat cracked a slight smile.

“I’ll never give you the satisfaction of breaking me.” 

He growled, claws digging into the armrests of the chair.

“Although it is a shame I won’t be able to make you whimper and beg, I couldn’t care less who react to the torture. It’s not going to matter soon anyways.” 

Black Hat cocked an eyebrow.

“And why is that?”

Oliver’s face split into an enormous grin, stretching from ear to ear.

“Because tomorrow... I’m going to watch you die.”

Black Hat gave a throaty chuckle.

“Doubtful. My faithful employees will certainly rescue me”

Oliver burst out laughing, gripping his head in order to stabilize himself. 

“Faithful? Your employees turned their backs on you the second they got the opportunity!”

Black Hat’s eyes darkened.

“Impossible! My subsidiaries may be incompetent, but I’m certain they’d never betray me.”

Oliver met his gaze with wild eyes, his grin never faltering.

“Oh really? Then let’s have a little look at the security footage of our interview with your right hand man, Dr. Flug.”

Oliver pressed a button on the remote, causing a computer monitor screen to appear, floating in midair. On it, was a still image of Flug, looking terrified and miserable in a small room with two other men.

“This is ridiculous! Flug would never be disloyal to me.” 

“Oh, you’d be surprised!”

Oliver chirped, eyes bightening as the video began to play. Black Hat watched quietly as Flug nervously answered they men’s questions, clearly uncomfortable and afraid. Why is he being so complacent? His eyes narrowed as he watched Flug break down in front of the officers, bawling his eyes out. He found himself groaning a little bit as he watched Flug’s helplessness. The footage cut, and Flug was in another room, on the floor, bagless. He watched coldly as Flug had a panic attack, curled up in a little ball on the ground. The officer interrogating him kept pressing him with questions, but he didn’t respond to any of them, too delirious to even comprehend the officer’s words.

“What happened to you?”

The officer inquired.

“B-Black Hat...” 

Flug whimpered, his whole body shaking violently.

“Black Hat did this to you?”

Black Hat rolled his eyes. Obviously not. The scars on Flug’s face were from a chemical lab accident, not from claws or fangs.

“H-he attacked me. I w-wear the bag to mask the d-damage he did.”

Flug stammered.

Black Hat was appalled, gritting his teeth in anger. 

“Nonsense! That isn’t even remotely true!”

He spat, beginning to squirm in his seat. 

“That’s horrible! I knew Black Hat was evil, but I never thought his would maul his own subordinates! Absolutely unforgivable...”

The officer said quietly.

“Black Hat was a-awful to me. He t-treated me like garbage.”

Flug mumbled, guilt behind his eyes. 

“What did he do to you?”

The officer asked gently.

“He would c-constantly threaten to hurt me if I didn’t get my work done. And if I f-failed to meet his demands, he would, umm, chain me up and beat me.”

Black Hat roared in anger, green saliva flying from his mouth.

“That’s preposterous! Stop spewing these lies Flug, you imbecile!”

He shouted, although he was well aware Flug couldn’t hear him. The footage cut once again, and Flug was in another room, sitting in a comfortable looking chair across from an old woman.

“Hello Dr. Flug. It’s nice to meet you. My name is Dr. Johnson. What seems to be the issue today?”

Flug was still bagless, and very clearly anxious and uncomfortable. His shoulders were hunched, and his messy brown hair fell across his face, obscuring his eyes.

"My uh, f-former boss, Black Hat... he’s...”

Flug paused, eyes darting all around the room.

“I c-can’t stop thinking about what he d-did to me. I’m s-so scared.”

Black Hat snarled in fury.

“Cease this at once, Flug! I command you to stop lying! This is unbelievable!”

He was thrashing in his seat at this point, teeth gnashing and claws completely unsheathed

“What did he do to you?”

The psychiatrist questioned curiously.

“A-awful things. He would kick me until I c-couldn’t move and choke me until I passed out. He would torture me for days on end if I disobeyed him. I thought for sure he’d kill me.”

“Flug you disgusting, lying wretch! How dare you defy me like this!”

Black Hat raged, his entire body pulsating with uncontrollable anger.

“Then why did you decide to work for him?” The woman asked, quirking a brow.

“I didn’t! He enslaved me and he forced me to! I had no choice!”

Black Hat was livid at this point, screaming uselessly at the screen. 

“Flug, that’s bullshit and you know it! How could you say such vile things about me! I’ll tear you limb from limb!”

Flug rolled up the sleeves of his lab coat and slammed his wrists onto the psychiatrist’s desk

“Look what he did to me!”

Flug yelled. Even rows of scars adorned his arms and wrists, and as soon as he laid eyes on them, the woman’s eyes where instantly filled with shock and pity.

“What happened?”

She asked, her voice laced with concern.

“Uhm... he uhh, t-took a knife and m-marked me. One g-gash for each time I failed him.”

Black Hat’s eyes were burning fiercely as he screamed, violently swiveling his head about and struggling with all of his might. This wasn’t happening. Flug wouldn’t do this. He was a coward, sure, but Black Hat always thought he was loyal to him. Flug was a villain, for evil’s sake! He was under Black Hat’s employment because he enjoyed being evil, not because Black Hat forced him to!

“Flug, you’ll pay for this!”

Black Hat screeched, his voices cracking at its ends. The footage cut off again, and when it resumed, it showed Flug shaking hands with Sunburst. Sunburst, of all people! Black Hat let loose a primal screech of outrage.

“NO! THIS IS AN INSULT TO EVERYTHING I STAND FOR! STOP AT ONCE, FLUG! I’LL KILL YOU! I’LL DESTROY YOU!”

Dark green liquid began flowing from his eyes, dripping down his cheeks and off his chin. It took him a moment to register in his mind, but he realized he was crying. This made him all the more angry, voice warbling with anguish as he continued to scream.

“FLUG YOU TRAITOR! I’LL MAKE YOU SUFFER FOR YOUR BETRAYAL, YOU SWINE! I’LL-I’LL! I’ll make you regret this...”

His voice trailed off as a sob caught in his throat, and he found himself breaking down. The monitor screen disappeared, and Oliver stood smiling in front of him, clearly very pleased with himself.

“Well now, I wasn’t expecting this. The mighty Black Hat, reduced to tears by a simple betrayal. How delightful.”

Oliver gloated, dark eyes shining. Black Hat tried to hide his face, but to no avail. He had finally given into the fear and misery that were looming over him, and cracked under the pressure. He was going to die, vulnerable, afraid and alone, and nobody was coming to save him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for 100+ kudos! I really appreciate it, you guys are the best!


	8. Altercation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a lot of gratuitous, over the top violence, so if you’re sensitive to that kind of thing, please proceed with caution!

A shaft of morning light drifted through an open window into Flug and Demencia’s room, casting its light over the sleeping scientist. Flug’s bleary eyes blinked open, causing him to slowly rise from his sleeping position and stretch, his back giving a satisfying pop as he yawned loudly. In the bed next to him, the lizard hybrid still rested peacefully, snuggling into the blanket with the covers pulled up to her chin. Flug reached over and gently poked her shoulder, causing her to groan and flop over onto her side.

“Demencia, it’s time to wake up.” 

Demencia hissed quietly through her teeth, and pulled the covers all the way over her head. 

“Fuck off...”

She grumbled, her voice hoarse. Flug sighed, and unsteadily rose to his feet. He tip-toed over to Demencia’s bed and yanked away her blanket, causing her to cry out meekly. 

“Ah! Stop, the light is hurting my eyes! It’s too early...”

Flug crossed his arms, giving her a cold eyed stare.

“Demencia, this is important. You’ve got to wake up.”

Demencia yawned obnoxiously as she slowly sat up in bed, rubbing at her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose in between her forefingers.

“Ughhh, my head hurts so bad... Feels like I’m hungover as hell.”

Demencia groaned, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and shakily rising to her feet. Flug gave her a look of sympathetic concern.

“Are you alright?”

She gave a court nod.

“I’ve dealt with worse.”

Flug’s worry didn’t dissipate.

“Do you think it might be a side effect of my ray?”

He asked bluntly. Demencia shrugged, then began absentmindedly scratching at her skin.

“I wish I had time to run more tests, but it’s a bit too late for that. We need to put out plan into action.”

Demencia perked up a little bit, her tired eyes shining with interest.

“Ooh, finally. I was wondering when we were going to get started with our little escapade.”

Flug pulled out a laptop from underneath his bed, and gestured for Demencia to sit next to him. She obliged, standing up and teetering to over to Flug’s bed on unsteady feet. Flug pulled up several complicated diagrams on the laptop screen, causing Demencia to noticeably grimace.

“What’s all this nonsense?”

Flug tensed a little bit.

“A-ah. Just some calculations. Nothing you need to worry about.” 

Demencia blew a little bit of hair out of her face, then leaned in closer. 

“Nerrrrd.” 

She jeered sleepily, resting her head against Flug’s shoulder. Flug pulled up a map of the compound on the screen, with red x marks on nearly every corner. 

“This is a security map of the facility. It shows where all of the active security cameras are.”

Flug pointed at the screen.

“Luckily for us, I managed to completely disable the cameras and alarm system, so as long as we’re careful, we should be able to make it to Black Hat’s quarters undetected.” 

Demencia flashed a toothy grin, punching Flug lightly in the ribs. 

“Awesome! That makes things so much easier for us.”

Flug smiled faintly beneath the bag.

“It was nothing. The firewall they had protecting the security data was super easy to breach. All I had to do from there was shut the system down from the inside out.”

Demencia rolled her eyes. 

“I’m gonna pretend like I understood your technical jargon and nerd gibberish. So, what are we do if we run into any trouble?” 

Flug looked mildly offended. 

“It’s n-not even-“ 

He gave a resigned sigh and decided to answer her question instead.

“If we run into any trouble, you’ve got your innate fighting skills, and I’ve got my ray gun. We’ll be able to face anyone who stands in our way.” 

Flug slammed his laptop shut, and slid it under the bed.

“Let’s get going. We have no time to waste.” 

Demencia shot him a quizzical look. 

“Huh? Right now?” 

Flug nodded, and extended his hand to help her up.

“From what I’ve gathered while infiltrating their information database, Black Hat is slated to be executed this afternoon. We have to go now.” 

Demencia’s eyes widened.

“Shit, really? Well, then what are we waiting for, let’s go!”

The pair headed down the hall together, walking with calm, confident strides. With deliberate and precise footsteps, they made their way through the twists and turns of the labyrinth-like complex, carefully making their way through the eerily empty halls. Suddenly, they heard the sound of footstep echoing behind them, rapidly going louder. They tried to hide behind a corner, but it was too late. A tired looking employee with dead eyes and a five o’clock shadow appeared before them, staring straight through them as he began to speak.

“Where are you two headed?”

Flug drew his lab coat over himself, doing his best to conceal the gun he was holding.

“Uhm... W-we were just... about to-“

“We wanted to watch that evil demon get executed!”

Demencia interrupted, a guilty and desperate look behind her eyes. The man didn’t seem to notice. 

”I see. I can lead you to the monitor room, if you like. There should be a live feed of the execution there.”

“Where is it?”

Flug questioned cautiously.

“Sector 81-B, in room 175”

Flug and Demencia exchanged knowing looks. Black Hat was being contained in sector 94-B, which was nearby the monitor room. This was their free ticket towards getting there without raising suspicion. 

“L-lead the way, sir.”

They followed the man through the seemingly endless corridors, until they finally arrived at a small black door. The employee unlocked the door, and they entered the room, which was covered wall to wall in television screens. Every single one of them was turned off. Shit.

“That’s odd. There must be something wrong with the cameras. I’ll check the system.”

As soon as the man’s back was turned, Flug gestured wildly at Demencia, trying to communicate with her without saying anything. Fortunately, she caught his drift, and made the same realization he did. That if the man found out the security camera had been disabled, they were both in huge trouble. The man turned towards them, holding a walkie-talkie in hand.

“It looks like the cameras have been deactivated by an outside force. I better notify the higher ups...”

Without thinking, Flug pulled his ray gun out of his coat, and smacked the man in the back of the head, knocking him out. The walkie-talkie fell to the floor, making strange crackling noises. They could vaguely make out the sound of a man saying.

“Adrian? Adrian?? Come in, Adrian!”

Flug stepped on the walkie-talkie, crushing it into pieces.

“We’ve got to go. Now.”

Demencia nodded wordlessly. Dashing as fast as their legs could carry them, they sped down the hall. Their sneakers squeaked against the tile as they ran, skidding around corners and edges.

“Remember, if you see anyone, no matter who, attack them, no hesitation.”

Flug reminded, breathless as he ran. 

“You don’t have to tell me twice!” 

Demencia all but shouted.

“They’re p-probably going to send a squad to this sector, so be on the lookout.”

Flug felt stress pumping through his hammering heart as he ran, his mind buzzing as he considered all of the outcomes of this mad dash.

“So much for my plan of being stealthy...”

Flug muttered, a slight wheeze in his voice.

“Eh, to hell with plans! I like the unpredictability and spontaneity of diving headfirst into something, without giving it so much as a thought.”

Demencia said in between breathless panting. 

“That’s why you’re not in charge of anything back at home, you know. You’re far too reckless.”

Demencia’s forked tongue poked out of her mouth as she blew a raspberry at Flug. Their bickering was cut short by the clattering of iron-toed boots stomping down the hall at a break neck pace, heading right towards them. Two guards armed with shot guns stood in their way, holding out their arms to create a barrier. 

“Freeze!”

They cried in unison. Flug aimed his ray gun at the guard on the left, and fired without hesitation. The blast burned an enormous hole through the man’s chest, blood spattering everywhere. His body collapsed to the ground with a thud. The man to his right yelped and fired an aimless shot that bounced off the wall, and stumbled backwards. Demencia charged and dove downwards, striking him in the knees and knocking him into a puddle of his coworker’s blood. Demencia laughed as he thrashed and squirmed beneath her, trying desperately to grab hold of his gun and shoot her. Just as he managed to curl his finger around the trigger, Demencia shoved her knee into his stomach and wrenched it out of his hand, She swung back and smashed the barrel of the gun into his head, cracking his skull against the floor. She then fired into his chest for good measure, then resumed running down the halls with Flug. The scientist was a slight distance ahead of her at this point, but given her superior speed, she was able to catch up with him easily. 

“Good work, Demencia! But try to keep moving as you fight, okay?”

Demencia crossed her arms across her chest.

“C’mon Fluggy! You know I like to put on a show.”

Flug gave her an exasperated look. “I’m well aware of that, but saving Black Hat is more important right now.”

“Fineee. I’ll try to make short work if anyone who stands in our way.” 

They heard footsteps behind them, accompanied by the sound of bullets. 

“More guards!”

Flug cried, firing haphazardly behind him. Demencia spun around backwards, and lunged headfirst towards the guards. Screams erupted from the crowd as Demencia raked her fingernails across a man’s throat, causing blood to spurt out of him like a fountain. Dark crimson poured down everywhere, staining the walls and drenching everyone‘s clothes. Several of the guards turned and ran, dropping their weapons to the ground. Only three remained, shaking as they tried to point their guns and Demencia. The lizard hybrid slithered up a wall, wiggling her torso and shifting her body to avoid the bullets. Flug stopped running in the opposite direction and turned to help her, blasting a man’s head off with a single shot of his ray gun. The two remaining guards turned and began firing at him, and Flug’s vision went red as a bullet grazed his arm, his whole mind going blank from the pain. He clenched his teeth to stop himself from screaming, and pressed his empty palm against the wound. Blood was welling from the injury, staining his coat sleeve and dripping onto the floor. Flug continued firing, tears blurring his vision as he shot. He heard the guards’ terrified cries as Demencia snuck up behind them and tackled them both to the ground, pinning them down and leaving them helpless. Demencia sank her teeth into the juncture between a man’s neck and shoulder, swiveling her head like an animal tearing apart its prey. The other man shrieked and struggled to get away as he watched her shred his partner into pieces, ripping of his arm with her teeth and beating them both down with it. Flug gestured with his uninjured arm. 

“Let’s go!”

Demencia dropped their writhing bodies, allowing them to splash into a pool of fresh blood. Wiping her filthy hands on her skirt, she dashed towards Flug, and they continued on their way. They were distracted for a moment by a few unarmed employees, but Flug was able to take them out by creating an explosion with a high energy pulse from his ray gun, causing viscera to rain down everywhere. They picked up their pace as they passed a sign that read “Sector B-92” in bold lettering. 

“We’re almost there!”

Flug shouted excitedly.

“Not so fast, evildoers!”

Flug felt his heart sink to his feet. A laser beam blasted through the ceiling, and in flew Sunburst, with his cheesy cape trailing out behind him. Demencia whirled around and faced him, her shoes slick with blood as she slid forward. He was too high up for her to be able to reach him, so she pulled the gun she’d taken from one of the guards earlier out of her gigantic ponytail, and began bombarding him with bullets. Using his powers, he reversed the momentum of the bullets and sent them speeding back at Demencia, hitting her in the ankle and torso. She was blown away by the sheer force, but she didn’t relent, gasping as she attempted to scale a the nearest wall and crawl close to him. Unfortunately, she slipped downwards and crashed, falling into a heap on the floor. Assuming she was down for the count, Sunburst turned to face Flug and flew towards him, assaulting him with a storm of energy bullets, and yelling at the top of his lungs.

“Dr. Flug! How could you?”

Flug ducked and rolled out of the way, hissing as his injured arm slammed against the ground.

“I would never betray my boss!” 

Flug yelled, firing his ray gun as fast as he possibly could. Sunburst dodged all of Flug’s attacks with ease, channeling the light of the sun that shone in through the hole in the ceiling and creating an enormous laser beam.

“I trusted you!”

Sunburst hollered, palms glowing as he pointed the laser at Flug.

“That was your mistake!”

Flug retorted, voice dripping with malice as he swerved away from the laser beam.

“I believed in you! I thought you were a good person!”

Flug couldn’t restrain dark laughter.

“That’s the p-problem with you heroes. You’re all far too naive, far too trusting.”

Sunburst shook his head.

“You lied to me! You manipulated me and took advantage of my trust.”

Flug smirked beneath his bag. 

“Thank you, it’s what I do best.”

Sunburst made an incomprehensible, infuriated noise and sent an enormous orb of energy towards him at lightning speed, destroying the ground beneath his feet and causing him to go flying. His head hit a wall with a crack, and he slumped to the floor, body limp. Sunburst seized the opportunity and flew towards him, grabbing him by the throat and pinning him against the wall. Sunburst dug his fingernails into Flug’s neck, hands glowing as he held the struggling scientist down.

“Normally, I would be against killing another person, but you’ve pushed me to the limit. I won’t forgive your transgressions.”

Flug attempted to pry Sunburst’s hands off his throat, but he had him held in an iron grip, crushing his windpipe in his fingers. Flug felt the tears that had been swimming in his eyes streak down his face as he was strangled, with fighting growing weak as darkness began to cloud the edges of his vision.

“P-pl-ease”

Flug rasped, voice barely audible.

“Begging for your life? How pathetic. You already know I won’t spare you.”

Flug gave a wet cough, throwing his head backwards in a last ditch effort to get away.

“D-don’t k-kill Black H-Hat...”

He choked, his mouth gaping open. 

“You really think I’m going to listen to you? Pitiful.”

Just as Flug was about to accept his death, he caught sight of his ray gun glinting in the light, a mere few inches away from him. Using the last of his remaining strength he reached out and grasped it tightly, shaky hands drawing it in close to his body. Sunburst laughed coldly.

“What are you going to do with that? It won’t affect me as such a close range.” 

Flug raised the gun, and just as he started to pass out, he suddenly pointed it above his head and fired. A massive chunk of lath and plaster fell down from the ceiling, landing on Sunburst and trapping him. In his shock, he let go of Flug, who took in a huge gasp of air and tumbled out of the way of the remaining shower of debris. He winced as one of the lighting fixtures fell down on his leg, flattening it down with a sickening crunch. He pulled his mangled leg out and limped away, still breathing heavily. He roused Demencia with a healing pulse from his ray gun, which allowed her to get back on her feet again. The two dusted themselves off and prepared to carry on, when they heard the sound of coughing coming from the pile of rubble. Flug pointed his ray gun at the source of the noise, eyes narrowing. Sunburst poked his head out from the wreckage, coughing and hacking as he tried to free himself. Demencia tensed, ready to go on the offensive, but Flug shook his head, and stepped cautiously towards the fallen hero. 

“Dr. Flug... why...?How could you do this?”

Flug giggled a little bit.

“Easy. I’m a villain. It’s as simple as that.”

Sunburst tried to move again, but found himself unable to, body going rigid and still.

“But... you don’t have to be. You could be great you know. You could... help so many people.”

Flug dragged his injured leg along as he inched closer.

“Do you think I c-care about helping others? It’s not exactly my strong suit, you know.”

Sunburst’s voice broke as he cried out.

“But why?! Why save Black Hat? The world is better off without him.”

Flug crossed his arms.

“My world isn’t.”

Sunburst gave him a desperate and bewildered look. 

”How can you say that?! After the way he treated you? After the beatings and torture you had to endure?”

Flug threw back his head and cackled.

“I lied about that! Which part of lying do you n-not understand? Everything I told you was all lies, and you b-bought it, line, hook and sinker!”

Sunburst looked taken aback.

“But why would you forsake living a comfortable and happy life to work for that demon again? Why would you risk everything to rescue him?”

This gave Flug pause. Flug had always found himself wondering what had instilled such undying loyalty within him. He’d pondered it late into the night, wondering why he tolerated all of the stress and worry his job entailed for Black Hat’s sake. Sure, he enjoyed his line of work, but he knew it ran deeper than that. He could never piece it together until now, but somehow, it suddenly clicked in his head. It all made sense now.

“Because I love him.”

He said firmly. And with that, he turned and headed after Demencia, running as fast as he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I’ve been really overwhelmed with school lately, so I haven’t had as much time to write. I’ve decided to split the big climax of this fic into two parts, so I guess this is part one. Strap yourselves in for the second part of the big finale, and prepare yourselves for lots of action and insanity. Thank you for being patient, and I hope my writing is worth the wait!


	9. Pinnacle

Flug’s sneakers slid against the tile floor as he sprinted down the hall, slick with blood that squished into the rubber soles with each step. He could see Demencia’s ponytail swishing behind her off in the distance, so he quickened his pace to catch up with her. She was breathless and panting, lungs heaving as she carried on as fast as she possibly could. She gave Flug a wordless nod as he approached her, and slowed slightly in order to match his pace. They barreled down the darkened halls, vigilantly scanning their surroundings for any sign of approaching guards. Suddenly, the their pathway was illuminated by the glow of eerie red backup lights. There was a mechanical thrumming noise that shook the whole building, than suddenly, an announcement came on the loudspeakers. 

“All personnel to sector B-93 immediately. There is a jailbreak in progress, and this threat must be neutralized as soon as possible. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill.”

The message cut off, proceeded by the blaring screech of the alarms going off.

“Shit!”

Demencia exclaimed, voice breathy and exasperated.

“They must have reactivated the alarm system!”

Flug shouted over the deafening noise. They both began to anticipate the arrival of more security personnel, readying themselves for a fight. As soon as the clattering of metal-toed boots accompanied their own footsteps, Flug turned and fired haphazardly behind him. Flug could feel bullets whizzing past his head as he sprinted desperately, terrifying him to no end. He found himself too scared to look behind him, just in case there was the barrel of a gun pointed straight between his eyes. The duo arrived at a large metal door that had been locked shut, leaving them in a dead end position. Flug noticed a small padlock to the side of the door, and instantly pried the covering off the panel and to rewire the cables he found beneath.

“Distract them!”

He cried, gesturing at Demencia.

“You got it!”

She yelled, dodging bullets as she charged at the guards. He could hear the blood-curdling screams of the people on the front line as soon as she reached them, pouncing on them like a rabid animal. He ignored the sickening noises of tearing flesh as he fiddled with the wires, sweat collecting on his brow as he honed his focus. The door made a popping noise as he disabled the lock, coming open slightly but not wide enough to squeeze through. Flug wrenched the door open wider, and began screaming wildly at Demencia.

“Go go go!”

Demencia rushed away from the corpses she was mauling and slithered through the tight gap, her lean body able to fit through the small space. Flug followed suit, but found his hips stuck at an awkward angle. He tried to wriggle his way out, but to no success. He reached out for Demencia, who grabbed his hand and tried to pull him through. He winced as he heard the sound of guns being loaded on the other side of the door, and shrieked as a barrage of bullets were fired into his legs. His vision went blurry, eyes filled to the brim with pained tears as Demencia pulled him free. He tried to stand, but his injured legs buckled beneath him, rendering him immobile.

“Go on without me! Save Black Hat!”

Flug blubbered, unable to contain his agonized sobs.

“Like hell I’m gonna just leave you here to die.”

Demencia growled, baring her pointy teeth.

“I’m a deadweight, Demi! I can’t walk. I’ll just slow us down.”

Demencia grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him.

“I don’t fucking care! I’m not gonna let those assholes riddle your genius head with bullets. You’re too important.”

And with that, she hoisted Flug up onto her back, and began running. Flug didn’t protest, but still found himself surprised by Demencia’s strength. He clung to her shoulders as she sped up, his legs hanging limp and useless as she supported his weight. Flug could sense the presence of the guards behind them again, their footsteps ringing loudly in his ears. He grabbed his ray gun from his coat pocket and fired off several shots behind him, hoping to halt their progress.

“We’re here!”

Demencia cheered, feet skidding against the ground as she turned towards an enormous iron door at the end of the hall. There was a digital padlock on the door, which Flug knew would be difficult to disable.

“Keep them b-busy for me, Dem.” 

Flug faltered, legs wobbling as he attempted to stand on his own. Demencia smiled and nodded, and dashing towards the legions of guards with a triumphant battle cry. Flug got to work at typing his code into the padlock, his fingers sweating beneath his gloves as he entered the digits. He kept glancing behind him to see how Demencia was doing, even though he knew he needed to concentrate. As time passed, it became abundantly clear that she was in over her head, surrounded by swarms of guards with assault rifles. He flinched as she let out a pained grunt, a bullet piercing her forearm and becoming lodged deep into her skin. If this went on any longer, he knew she was going to die. He wouldn’t allow that.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you!”

Flug yelped, readying his ray gun to attack the guards.

“No! You need to get the door open! It doesn’t matter what happens to me!”

Flug knew he didn’t have the strength to try to protect her from the guards. If he tried to help, he would probably just end up getting them both killed. But he couldn’t stand the thought of just letting her die. Despite their bickering, he knew deep down in his heart that she was his best friend. His eyes watered at the mere thought of losing her forever. He wouldn’t never be able to play MarioKart at 3AM in their pajamas ever again. They’d never be able to marathon bad movies together ever again. He’d be so alone, and he wouldn’t be able to bear the guilt of watching her die and doing nothing. He bit back a scream as he watched a bullet puncture her middle, causing her to crumple to the floor with a choked shriek. The tears that were swimming in his eyes flowed freely down his face, and his body began to shake. Hell, he’d even miss her destroying his lab, even if all she ever did was blow everything up. 

Wait.

That was it! 

Flug knew what he had to do.

He grabbed his ray gun and ripped the paneling off of the chamber that contained the quartz fiberglass, allowing the radioactive plutonium react with the titanium doped sapphires inside the device. The gun began rapidly heating up in his hands, and he threw it as far away from himself as he possibly could. He flung himself at Demencia, shielding her fallen form with his body as well as he could. A blinding white light began to illuminate the hall, causing Flug to squeeze his eyes shut and brace for impact. Everything went black. 

... 

Flug’s eyes shot open, blinking soot off his lashes and coughing smoke out of his lungs. His ears were ringing and his body was tense and aching, but he was pretty sure he was still alive. His pupils darted from side to side, scanning the hall for any sign of danger. The floors were coated in a thick layer of ash and soot, and the walls were lined with charred, discombobulated skeletons, blown to pieces by the explosion. There were ashen footprints leading away from the site of the blast, meaning presumably, some of the guards had managed to survive and escape. He was hesitant to glance down at himself, as he was terrified his legs were blown off and his mind just hadn’t registered the pain yet. Breath hitching, he inspected himself, and was relieved to find that he was mostly unharmed, he was scraped and bruised, and his legs were still injured, but he hadn’t retained any further damage. He stood up, and dusted himself off, the pain in his kneecaps flaring up upon their usage. He was able to grit his teeth and bare it, using all of the strength he could muster to lift Demencia into his arms. He carefully propped her up against a wall, making sure not to exacerbate her injuries. He pressed his hand up against her neck, relaxing at the steady pounding of her pulse. He could feel her ragged breathing beneath him, body stirring gently as he backed away. He began to search through the rubble for the shell of his ray gun, as he knew it was sturdy enough to endure the blast. After a brief moment of searching, he was able to find it, mostly still in tact. The chamber that previously contained the radioactive plutonium had disintegrated into dust, but the titanium doped sapphires were still there. Working deftly, he reconnected the wires that connected the healing chamber to the quartz fiberglass, and was able to get the gun to turn on again. He know it would be impossible to use the gun as a weapon anymore, but he could still use it to heal Black Hat. He struck Demencia with the ray, healing most of her grave injuries. 

“The bullets are still imbedded in your arm and torso.”

He murmured, watching as she twitched in her unconscious state.

“But this should stop the bleeding and get you back on your feet again.”

He knew Demencia would reawaken in only a few moments, but he didn’t have any time to waste. He needed to rescue Black Hat. He quickly finished disabling the lock on the iron door, causing it to creak open. He gulped, tension rising in his chest, and made his way inside. 

The room was pitch black, shrouded in darkness. Flug could barely see his arm pointed in front of him, despite being only a mere few inches from his eyes. He progressed into the ominous room, heart racing with anticipation and entire body trembling with fear. Suddenly, the lights flicked on, blinding Flug temporarily. He hissed and took a step back, drawing his arms to shield his eyes.

“Not. Another. Step.” 

A voice seethed. Flug squinted ahead of him, blurry eyes focusing in on a tall, dark man with burning eyes. Flug recognized him immediately.

“Oliver Scott...”

Flug whispered, forcing his voice to remain even.

“Ah, so you recognize me”

Oliver calmly walked forward and gestured over to a shadowy figure in the center of the room.

“Couldn’t say the same for him.”

He spat, tongue curling with disgust in his mouth. Flug’s stared blankly at the figure, his mind unable to comprehend what was plainly in front of him. The figure was dark and sullen, hunched over in shame and defeat, small and humble compared to Oliver, who stepped beside the chair it rested in. He knew perfectly well that the figure was Black Hat, but it couldn’t possibly be, could it? Black Hat exhumed power and ferocity with every stance and every breath, tall and proud, standing above everybody else. Seeing him so still, so thoroughly beaten was beyond disturbing.

Oliver withdrew a tiny syringe from his pocket, and held it against Black Hat’s neck, smiling broadly. Flug tensed, but Oliver extended his free hand and shook his head.

“Drop your weapon or the demon gets it.”

Flug, terrified for this boss’s safety, obliged.

“Hands in the air.”

Shaking uncontrollably, he obeyed, raising his hands above his head.

“Now state your purpose.”

“I’m here to r-rescue Black Hat!”

Flug shouted, refusing to allow himself to back down. Oliver gave a mellow, throaty chuckle at Flug’s defiance.

“Figures. When the higher ups informed me of a scientist held hostage by Black Hat, I didn’t believe them for a second. I know your type. You’re all the same, you villains are. Lying, manipulative little stains that cower and grovel the second things don’t go your way. I could see right through your feigned innocence.” 

His umber eyes gleamed in the fluorescent lights, lips curving into a slight smile.

“You’re nothing but a lowly weakling, Doctor. Unable to function without your despicable boss, and miserable without an outlet for your cruelty, you run to him so you can hide under his coattails again.” 

Flug could sense the tense aura of repressed rage radiating from Oliver, as he was speaking as though he was mere seconds away from snapping and brutalizing Flug. Flug didn’t doubt that he would be able to, should he choose. 

“Don’t you d-dare h-hurt him.”

Flug stammered, unable to prevent his voice from shaking.

“Don’t you dare tell me what to do, you repugnant coward!” 

He growled, clenching a fist around the syringe.

“You’re no better than he is. Living in the shadows of evil and clinging to those superior to you like a worthless leech. It’s pathetic. I ought to snuff you out, here and now.”

Oliver’s infuriated expression dropped, and he gave a coy smirk.

“But I’m a reasonable man. I’ll give you a choice. Either I inject you with this serum formulated to kill Black Hat, which will kill you slowly and painfully over the course of several hours, or I kill your precious boss, right here in front of you. Then, I’ll make sure you’re locked up in a prison cell where you belong, for the rest of your miserable life. The choice is yours.”

Forcing himself not to hesitate, he trudged over to where Oliver stood, ready to sacrifice himself in an instant. His overwhelmed mind didn’t have the time to fully process what he was doing, switching to autopilot before Flug could fully consider the ramifications of his choice. He looked Oliver dead in the eyes, and dropped to his knees.

“Take me instead.”

He forced through clenched teeth.

“A foolish decision indeed, Doctor Flug. And here I was thinking you were intelligent.”

Flug’s eyes were burning with the sting of suppressed tears, clouding his vision and threatening to overflow and stain his bag. Flug tried to force himself to retort, but he couldn’t do anything but try to numb himself to the panic.

“Luckily for you, Doctor, I am a man of my word. I’ll follow through on your stupid decision.”

Flug knew it was stupid. He knew doing this would only prolong Black Hat’s inevitable death at Oliver’s hands. The facility would simply procure another serum, and kill him. Demencia would probably be institutionalized or executed from her crimes, and Flug didn’t want that for her at all. Flug could barely even perceive Oliver leaning his head to the side in his petrified haze, barely flinching as he braced the needle against his jugular. He didn’t want this to be the end for him. He didn’t want his best friend to die. He didn’t want his beloved boss to die. He didn’t want to die.

So he wouldn’t.

Without thinking, he hurled himself at Oliver’s knees, knocking the lanky man onto the floor and catching him by surprise. Reacting quickly, Oliver rolled onto his back and sat up, only to be tackled and struck with a tight-fisted punch to the jaw. Flug tried to pin him down, but found himself easily overpowered by the stronger man and launched away. Oliver kicked Flug in the stomach, when swung at him with the syringe. Flug ducked, then head butted him in the chest, pushing him backwards. The syringe went flying, smashing against the floor and cracking down the middle. The serum leaked from the syringe and seeped into the ground, sizzling and disappearing. Oliver let out a primordial screech, grabbing Flug by the throat and cracking his head against the tile.

“I’ll kill you!”

Flug thrashed desperately, choking and whimpering as he was repeatedly kicked in the ribs. Flug craned his neck and reached behind him, grabbing a fragment of shattered glass and slicing Oliver across the face. Oliver screamed and released his grip on Flug’s throat, leaving him vulnerable to another strike. Flug pushed upwards and threw Oliver onto his back, then pressed his knee into his gut, eliciting a groan from the startled man. Flug seized the opportunity and stabbed him with the shard of glass, embedding it deep into his torso. Flug yanked it out and proceeded to impale him through the stomach, causing blood to spurt all over him. Oliver kicked and shrieked and tried to push Flug off of him, but the scientist did not relent, goring him ruthlessly. Eventually, Oliver’s struggling grew feeble and weak, coughing up blood and whispering pleas for mercy. Flug was sure to silence his obnoxious begging by shoving the piece of glass straight through his windpipe. Oliver let out a gargled scream, then fell completely still. 

Flug stood up on wobbly knees, body bruised and aching as he stepped away to admire his work. Oliver’s chest had more craters than the surface of mars, all stained rust red with blood. He smiled a little bit at this, than paused to wipe his filthy hands on his jeans and teetered over to where his boss was resting.

“Black Hat...” Flug breathed, tearful and choked up at the sight of his boss’s slumped form. 

“Please w-wake up... It’s me...”

Black Hat stirred, eyes blinking open and staring at Flug. His eyes narrowed like slits, and he snarled. 

“Get away from me.”

He growled.

“Don’t you r-recognize me? I-“

Flug stuttered, cautiously stepping closer. 

“Do you think I don’t know what you did?!”

Black Hat barked, voice raspy and tenuous.

“You betrayed me...” 

Flug shook his head, a sob catching in his throat.

“No, I would never! I was only p-pretending, and it was the only way I could s-save you, I-I-I... I’m so sorry.”

Black Hat just looked away.

“P-please sir, forgive me for this!! I risked everything to save you! I n-need you! I c-can’t live without you, I had to do this, it was the only way I could-“

“Flug.”

“Yes, Jefecito?”

Black Hat shifted in his seat.

“I want to go home.”

Flug bit his lip.

“O-of course. Anything for you, Jefecito.”

“Do you mean that, Flug?”

Flug nodded frantically.

“Yes!! I promise. Please believe me...”

Unable to control himself anymore, he collapsed onto Black Hat’s lap, wrapping his arms around his boss and weeping.

“This is all m-my fault! God, please don’t hate me!”

Black Hat gave a low rumble. 

“No Flug, it’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have doubted in you. I’m... really proud of you.”

Flug sobbed grossly, tightening his death grip on the fabric of Black Hat’s clothes. After a few moments of hysterical bawling had passed, Flug pulled away, and cupped Black Hat’s face in his hands.

“I was so scared I’d n-never see you again.”

He murmured, words warbling with emotion. Black Hat relaxed into Flug’s touch, a resigned smile settling across his face.

“Likewise.”

Flug sniffed, and reached under his torn up bag to wipe away his tears.

“If anything happened to you... I wouldn’t be able to live with m-myself. I’m so sorry you h-had to go through this. I wish I could have done more.”

Black Hat’s eyes were filled with genuine warmth as he spoke, gravely voice alight with happiness.

“You’ve already accomplished what really matters. You saved me. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Flug sighed, and stepped away, picking up his half broken ray gun.

“Let’s go home, Jefe.” 

And with that, he struck him with a blast from the device. Black Hat’s magical energy was returned to his body, shrouding him with a shadowy aura. Tendrils and spikes erupted from all over his body, destroying the chair he was bound to. Countless mouths and eyes materialized in his body, morphing his form into an otherworldly mass of flesh and orifices. Soon thereafter, he reverted back to normal, panting and exhausted.

“C’mon, we need to get Demencia.” 

Flug ushered, gesturing him towards the door. Black Hat nodded and followed him. As soon as he left he was immediately accosted by the hyperactive lizard hybrid, who latched herself onto him.

“You did it Flug-a-Bug! You saved Blackie!”

She cried, a grin plastered on her face.

“You’re awake!” 

Flug observed, stumbling backwards.

“Uh huh! I was gonna come and help you, but I saw you were busy making Oliver into a glass pincushion. It was brutal! I didn’t want to interfere, so I decided to raid their weapons arsenal. I set bombs all over the place, so we better scram before this shithole goes up in flames.”

Flug laughed, patting her on the shoulder.

“Good thinking, Demencia! Let’s get out of here before the explosives detonate.”

Black Hat used his powers to tear a hole through the wall, and they all scrambled through to the outside. They ran as fast and as far as they could, and paused when they felt the ground shake behind them. The building behind them was being completely demolished, flames shooting out of every window as the walls crumbled and fell. The trio looked on with cruel satisfaction as the fire consumed the remains of the building, basking in the gentle glow of watching their enemies burn. Flug and Demencia grabbed Black Hat by the hands, and together, they entered a portal that took them back to the Black Hat manor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GOD THIS TOOK AGES I AM SO SORRY. This chapter ended up being A LOT longer than I anticipated, Bc I kept thinking of new dramatic scenes I could add and more wild shit that could go down and I ended up getting carried away. I hope my writing is worth the wait :P
> 
> ALSO 
> 
> Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion of this fic! Yes, the next chapter is going to be the last, so prepare yourselves emotionally for that. I’m going to write more multi chapter villainous fics though, so expect to see my work in the tags quite often. I hope you guys enjoy!


	10. Intimacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: SICKLY SWEET FLUFF AHEAD. MAY CAUSE STOMACH CRAMPS AND TOOTH ACHES DUE TO ABUNDANCE OF SWEETNESS.

It took a few days for everything to go back to relative normalcy. Flug had an obscene amount of work to catch up on, as he had to make up for lost time. Despite the stress factor, he was grateful to immerse himself in his work again, and avoid thinking about the ordeal his company had to go through. He was able to heal most of his grave injuries with his broken ray gun, but it still hurt to walk, and he felt an overwhelming sense of fatigue as he toiled over his lab work. Demencia ended up spending the majority of her time napping in various places throughout the mansion, trying to find the warmest place to curl up. 5.0.5 was predictably thrilled upon the group’s return, and had cooked and cleaned the house for all of them while they were away. The bear sought more attention from Flug than usual, and Flug was more than happy to provide the sweet creature with all the affection he wanted. Black Hat was more reclusive than usual, avoiding all of his subordinates to sulk alone. Before the incident, Black Hat checked in on Flug’s progress at least once a day, but that routine seemed to have ceased for the time being.

Black Hat’s absence was beyond jarring to Flug, but Flug understood how difficult it was to recover after such a terrifying incident. Black Hat seemed to be slinking out of the mansion late into the night, and returning in the early morning. While in the manor, he spent his time locked in his office, presumably catching up on paper work. Flug couldn’t help but worry about his boss, but found himself too timid to confront him about the issue directly. He decided it was best to just push it to the back of his mind and try not to think about it. 

That was until late one night, Black Hat quietly stepped into his lab, observing the scientist’s work with silent eyes. It took Flug a moment to notice his boss’s presence, but as soon as he felt his shadow looming over him, he jumped in her seat and whirled around. 

“B-Black Hat!”

He exclaimed, voice strained from exhaustion.

“Flug.”

Black Hat murmured, resting a hand on the scientist’s shoulder.

“Yes, sir?” 

Flug questioned, blinking in surprise.

“I’ve returned to the site of the Astral Superhero League’s headquarters, where we were held captive.”

He informed, voice blasé.

“Really?”

Was all Flug could manage, voice trembling ever so slightly.

“I had to make sure all of the information gathered about me and my organization was completely destroyed.” 

Flug nodded, neatly folding his hands into his lap as he feebly began to speak.

”I’ve been scouring the internet for any d-data leaks from the ASL archives. I’ve been able to remove anything incriminating about the organization.” 

Black Hat’s eyes lit up for a brief second, before his face went slack. 

“Good.”

He stated blankly, no hint of emotion detectable behind his words. Flug was somewhat exasperated. Was that all he had to say? The demon began pacing away from Flug’s work desk, before stepping lightly back towards the scientist, a grave expression on his face. 

“Flug, there’s something urgent I need to address with you.”

He said, his voice low. 

“Y-yes, sir?”

Black Hat’s eyes fixated on him, making his stomach drop.

“I’ve watched all of the security footage recorded during our stay at the Astral Superhero League’s base, and I came to notice something bizarre in your pattern of words and behaviors.”

Black Hat paused, eliciting even more nervousness from Flug.

“You orchestrated an elaborate rescue plan with no resources other than your own mind and no aide other than some physical assistance from Demencia. You manipulated and entire league of superheroes into trusting you and utilized their materials to create a weapon for your treacherous plan, all under their supervision. You worked diligently for hours on your gun, even neglecting food and sleep to do so. You put your life in serious danger and sustained grave injuries in your rescue attempt, all for my sake.”

He came to an abrupt stop in his mantra, presumably for dramatic effect.

“They believed your outlandish claims of kidnapping, so you could have easily forgotten about me and lived a peaceful, normal life as a regular citizen. But you refused to. You risked everything to save me, and I couldn’t be more grateful."

He trailed off, wringing his hands and staring at the floor. Flug decided now was a good time to pipe up.

“Anything for you, s-sir.”

Flug murmured, with a faint smile as genuine as he could muster. Black Hat leaned down to make direct eye contact with him, face completely deadpan.

“But why? Why am I that important to you? I want the honest truth, so don’t try to avoid the question.”

Flug gulped. He fiddled with his gloves, refusing to look up at Black Hat. He knew that there was no way he could address his boss with honesty in this scenario. He couldn’t bring himself to say a word. His eyes remained glued to the floor, his mind focusing on the gentle rhythm of his boss’s leather shoes tapping against the tile floor.

“Answer me.” 

The demon’s tone wasn’t quite demanding, it was gentle, almost as if he was trying to coax the answer out of Flug. 

“I-I... uhm... I, uh...” 

He had enough self preservation instinct to understand that he couldn’t afford to lie to his boss, especially when he was being directly confronted like this. He tried to speak, but the words kept wilting and dying on his tongue, leaving him speechless.

“Spit it out, Flug.”

The demon groaned, his irritated foot tapping increasing in speed. Black Hat didn’t quite sound angry, just impatient. Flug threw his hands up in the air, squeezing his eyes shut and forcing himself to speak.

“I’m sorry! I know I villains aren’t s-supposed to feel affection but I really care about you! My admiration goes d-deeper than just mere loyalty! You m-mean the whole world to me! I owe you everything! I c-couldn’t live without you! Even if you’ll never return my feeling, I’ll always be there for you because I love you Black Hat!”

Flug slumped in his seat, knowing he had just exposed himself. He anticipated a disgusted reaction, just waiting for Black Hat to storm out of the room. He tensed up as he felt Black Hat’s arms wrap around him, pulling him close.

“Wh-sir? You’re not mad at me?” 

Black Hat chuckled.

“How could I be mad? Your devotion is a beautiful thing. I could never hate you for it. If it wasn’t for your loyalty, I wouldn’t be alive.”

Flug finally mustered up the strength to return the hug, snuggling his head into the crook of his boss’s neck.

“I’m s-so happy you are alive. If anything bad happened to you I’d... God, I don’t even know what I’d do. I would be miserable.”

Black Hat pulled away slightly, lowering himself to meet Flug’s gaze.

“You have no idea how indebted to you I am. I owe you my life, my everything. I was terrified I’d never see the light of day again.”

Flug sniffed, trying to blink away the tears that were rapidly forming.

“I was t-terrified I’d never see you again. I was so scared... I c-couldn’t stand the thought of losing you.”

Black Hat gave a warm smile, eyes brimming with joy.

“I was scared too. Never had I known such fear before. But I know I have nothing to be afraid of anymore. Not with you by my side.”

Black Hat slipped his hand under Flug’s bag, resting it on his face. He could feel the wetness of tears soaking into his glove, as well as the scientist’s nonstop shivering.

“D-do you mean that, sir? Do you really think I c-can keep you safe?”

Black Hat nodded enthusiastically.

“Of course I do! I trust you to fend off anyone with the ability to hurt me. You don’t have to worry about losing me ever again.”

Ecstasy mingled with pride flooded through Flug’s system, warming him from the inside out. Without stopping to consider the consequences, he pushed his bag halfway up his face and pressed his lips against Black Hat’s, startling the demon. Upon hearing his boss’s muffled noise of surprise, Flug pulled his head away ashamedly, regretting his split second decision.

“I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have d-done that, that was-“

He was cut off by Black Hat grabbing him by the chin and kissing him hard, silencing him. Flug returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around Black Hat’s shoulders. Flug couldn’t suppress the tears that fell down his face, still overwhelmed with emotions that he couldn’t possibly describe. 

Eventually, Flug pulled away, breathless. He gave a teary-eyed smile, and then gave Black Hat soft peck on the cheek. He wanted to smother him with kisses, establishing his affectionate feelings in ways mere words simply couldn’t. He peppered kisses down his jawline, before leaning back to wipe away more tears than had fallen. Black Hat rested his hand on Flug’s cheek, cautiously lifting up Flug’s bag to reveal his entire face. Flug tensed, wincing at the sound of the crinkling paper, but allowed Black Hat to unveil his face. Black Hat cupped his chin with both hands, instantly becoming immersed in Flug’s warm hazel eyes. He peeled off one of his gloves, and tenderly stroked his claws through Flug’s chestnut brown locks of hair, noting the way the scientist tenderly leaned into his touch. He planted a kiss on Flug’s forehead, then tilted his head back in order to bask in his scientist’s radiantly happy glow. He then moved down to kiss one of the scars that blemished Flug’s jaw line, pressing his body close upon feeling the smaller man shiver with discomfort. 

“You’re wonderful...”

Black Hat murmured, tracing the tips of his claws along the nape of Flug’s neck. Black Hat nestled his head just beneath Flug’s chin, allowing his teeth to graze the sensitive skin as he kissed him. Flug stifled a gasp at the sensation of Black Hat’s inhuman chilly breath tickling his neck, wrapping his arms around Black Hat’s head and drawing him close. 

“You mean so much to me...”

Flug murmured, wrapping his arms around Black Hat’s head and drawing those sharp teeth closer to his throat. Flug sighed as Black Hat nipped at the sensitive skin on his neck, eyelashes fluttering in utter bliss. Black Hat pressed a kiss into the purple tinged bruise that was beginning to form, then readjusted his head to tease Flug’s collarbone. Black Hat’s lips were were cold, but they made his body flush with a pleasant warmth. Black Hat nudged his head into Flug’s chest, listening to the quiet thrumming of the human’s heartbeat. The two rested in serene quiet for a tender moment, right up until Black Hat suddenly scooped Flug into his arms, cradling him like a baby. 

“Let’s go to my room, my perfect scientist. You need some rest.”

He planted a kiss on Flug’s cheek, brushing aside his messy hair in order to do so. Flug let out a happy sigh, relaxing as Black Hat carried him to the manor’s immaculate master bedroom. Flug was laid down on the king size bed, prompting Black Hat to crawl in beside him. The two curled up together, entangled in each other’s arms, and found themselves lulled into complacency by the gentle rhythm of their synchronized breathing. Flug nuzzled his head into Black Hat’s chest, his paper bag crinkling as he settled into a more comfortable position in his boss’s arms. Once thoroughly intertwined, the demon and the scientist found themselves lost within the confines of a peaceful sleep, leaving their troubles behind as they drifted off. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FINALLY FINISHED THIS STORY!!! It took lots of hard work, dedication and procrastination along the way, but I actually did it. To be honest, I’ve had the rough draft of this chapter sitting in my notes for ages, but I was too lazy to clean it up. I was feeling a tad guilty for leaving everyone hanging like that, so I finally got it posted. I hope you enjoyed!! 
> 
> I have a lot of other Villainous fics that I’ve been sitting on for months now that I’ll be posting within the coming days, so look forward to that, I guess. I’m also working on some drafts for fanfics of other fandoms, including Pokémon, Camp Camp and Madoka Magica. I’ll be posting these drafts whenever I finish them, so be sure to stay tuned! And thank you all so much for being patient with me!


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